UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Secures $25 Million NCI Grant Renewal, Strengthening Clinical Trial Infrastructure
核心洞察
The National Cancer Institute renewed a five-year, $25 million Cancer Center Support Grant for UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center (搜索), covering approximately 25% of its operating costs.
Under Director Diane Simeone, MD, the center reduced clinical trial activation time from 224 days in 2018 to 86.5 days as of April 2025, with a 250% increase in interventional trial accruals.
Moores Cancer Center remains the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the greater San Diego region, serving approximately 3.5 million residents with access to novel therapies.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has renewed the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) for UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center (搜索) (MCC), awarding $25 million over five years to sustain the institution's mission of advancing cancer research, expanding clinical trial access, and training future oncology leaders. The renewal, announced this week, solidifies MCC's standing as one of only 58 federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States — a distinction it has held since 2001.
The grant covers approximately 25% of the cancer center's operating costs and represents uninterrupted NCI funding that MCC has received continuously since 1978. Loss of this support, officials noted, would have been devastating both financially and reputationally.
"Being a Comprehensive Cancer Center represents a high level of performance across multiple domains, including the depth and strength of scientific discoveries that ultimately contribute to the understanding of cancer biology, the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics, and ways to study patients to improve the quality of their lives," said Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center and professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Clinical Trial Acceleration Drives Enrollment Growth
Under Simeone's leadership, MCC has achieved dramatic reductions in the time required to activate new clinical trials. According to the center's official CCSG description, trial activation took 224 days in 2018 compared with 86.5 days as of April 2025 — a reduction of more than 60%.
This faster pace has translated directly into increased patient participation. "We have had about a 250% increase in accruals to interventional clinical trials, realizing that, for many patients, the best opportunity for a cure is going to be in a clinical trial," Simeone said.
The center has also made significant investments in helping local cancer researchers launch their own clinical trials, with approximately 40% of offerings now investigator-initiated and based in San Diego. "We're starting to see patients coming in from other parts of the country because of the expanding clinical trial portfolio that we have," Simeone noted.
MCC is now among the fastest in the nation to open clinical trials evaluating cutting-edge therapies for both common and rare cancers. Multidisciplinary disease teams are responsible for reviewing and bringing these trials to patients across multiple cancer types, including prostate, breast, pancreatic, liver, leukemias, and brain cancers.
Research Innovation and Community Reach
MCC researchers are spearheading innovations in several high-impact areas: clinical trial design for advanced prostate cancer (搜索), major trials targeting the previously "undruggable" RAS protein (搜索) in pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers, and the integration of artificial-intelligence tools into radiology for earlier cancer detection and personalized treatment matching.
As the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in the greater San Diego region serving approximately 3.5 million residents, MCC offers equitable access to novel therapies not available at other local hospitals. The center partners with Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego for pediatric oncology trials and leads community-wide screening initiatives for early cancer detection.
"This funding strengthens our ability to deliver the most advanced cancer care to patients across our region," said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health. "We are committed to providing leading-edge therapies, clinical trials and a coordinated, compassionate care experience — bringing the latest discoveries forward to improve outcomes and lives."
MCC operates as one of fewer than 10 U.S. consortium cancer centers, collaborating with La Jolla Institute for Immunology and San Diego State University, which contribute expertise in immunology and population health.
Training the Next Generation
Central to the CCSG renewal is MCC's commitment to education. "We have all kinds of innovative educational activities, from genomics modules to master classes in entrepreneurship and how to optimize interactions with the biotech and biopharma sector," Simeone said. Faculty teach medical students, residents, and fellows, while undergraduate students rotate through labs. A post-baccalaureate program supports students who have completed college and aspire to medical school, offering time in both laboratory and clinical trials office settings.
Addressing Patient Access and Capacity
The grant renewal process also examined community outreach and patient access. U.S. News & World Report ranks Moores No. 41 nationally among cancer centers, with "excellent" ratings for patient survival, nurse staffing adequacy, use of advanced technology, and available patient services. The center treated 2,121 high-risk patients during the study period.
To address growing demand, UCSD Health reported that 17 new physicians are expected to join cancer care teams by fall, and approximately 60% of new patients are currently seen within seven days. For breast cancer (搜索) specifically, 93% of newly diagnosed patients in need of medical oncology are seen within seven days. The recent opening of the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion in Hillcrest, which includes 20 new infusion chairs, is also expected to help meet demand.
"The renewal of the Cancer Center Support Grant is testament to the far-reaching impact of Moores Cancer Center on the future of cancer care," said Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences John M. Carethers, MD. "The center is both a driver of medical innovation and a lifeline for our patients, a cornerstone of health for the entire San Diego community and beyond."