CIRM awards $9 million to Enloe Health to bring cell and gene therapies closer to patients in Northern California

San Diego, Calif., Sept. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved $9 million for Enloe Health in Chico, California, to establish a Community Care Center of Excellence (CCCE) that will help people in Northern California access regenerative medicine therapies closer to home. The center will connect people in Chico and surrounding communities with FDA-approved cell and gene therapies, clinical trials studying new cell and gene therapies, patient support resources, and workforce training opportunities. 

The center will first focus on delivering approved CAR-T therapies and on clinical trials for conditions such as blood cancers, autoimmune diseases, and rare genetic diseases. 

“Every person in California should be able to access the most promising medical advances, including cell and gene therapies that are changing what is possible for serious and life-threatening diseases,” said Shyam Patel, Associate Vice President of Patient Access. “By expanding CIRM’s Clinical Network to include a site in Northern California, CIRM is helping bring clinical trial opportunities, approved therapies, trusted information, and patient support closer to the communities that need them.” 

CIRM launched the CCCE program in 2025 as a first-of-its-kind effort to make regenerative medicine therapies and clinical trials more accessible for Californians who live far from major medical centers where most trials and FDA-approved therapies are administered. CIRM’s first CCCEs received $27 million to establish sites serving South L.A., the Inland Empire and Desert Region, and the Central Valley. CIRM’s four CCCEs and nine Alpha Clinics — world-class medical centers delivering cell and gene therapy clinical trials and approved therapies — together make up a Clinical Network that puts advanced therapies and clinical trials within less than an hour and a half drive for roughly 9 out of 10 Californians.  

In addition to the Clinical Network, CIRM has a Patient Support Program that provides financial support for people in California to help overcome financial barriers to clinical trial participation. These include barriers such as transportation costs, food, housing, and childcare. The program only supports access for people in California participating in CIRM-funded clinical trials. 

The Clinical Network site at Enloe Health is expected to launch by January 2027 and will work with community partners to address informational, economic, and social barriers that can prevent people from participating in research. People who are interested in learning about clinical trials being run in CIRM’s Clinical Network can browse clinical trials. 

“This award is about meeting patients where they are and making it easier for families in Northern California to learn about and access regenerative medicine therapies and clinical trials,” said Maria Gonzalez Bonneville, CIRM Chair of the Access & Affordability Working Group and Board Vice Chair. “Through local partnerships and patient-centered support, the center will help reduce barriers that can keep people from benefiting from the next generation of therapies. This latest Clinical Network site is a core part of CIRM’s vision of ensuring that all Californians, regardless of location or background, have access to advanced cell and gene therapies and clinical trials.” 

About the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)  

CIRM was created by the people of California to fund stem cell and gene therapy research with the goal of accelerating treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. With $5.5 billion in funding allocated through both Proposition 71 in 2004 and Proposition 14 in 2020, CIRM supports stem cell and gene therapy discoveries from inception through clinical trials, trains a workforce in California to fill jobs in the state’s thriving biotech and biomedical research industry, and creates infrastructure to make clinical trials accessible for people throughout California. All of CIRM’s research, workforce development, and infrastructure programs are designed to benefit the people of California, whose vision created the agency. For more information, visit www.cirm.ca.gov. 

Koren Temple-Perry
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
(510) 836-9621
press@cirm.ca.gov