Clinical trial diversity is the cornerstone of equal access to care, but clinical trial participants are still overwhelmingly white. On World Clinical Trials Day, Bio.News looks at why and what biotech’s doing about it.
By the numbers: Data released by the FDA in 2020 found that, of 292,537 global clinical trial participants, 76% were white, 11% were Asian and 7% were Black. However, this isn’t anywhere near equivalent to the world population, with 60% of people in Asia and 16% in Africa.
There’s a disconnect: A survey found Hispanics are more eager than non-Hispanic whites to participate in trials, according to Adolph Falcon, EVP for the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. “The number-one reason Hispanics are not participating in clinical trials is ‘I was not asked,’” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of judgment and paternalism in the healthcare system,” Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick said in an episode of the I am BIO podcast. “We make decisions about who we think are optimal candidates for participation in research trials, or we make judgments about whether or not we think people can follow through and actually never give them the opportunity to say yes or no or ask for support to be in a clinical trial.”
Why it matters: “By 2040, over half of patients with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. will be Black or Hispanic. Within five years, those cases are predicted to increase by 2% in Black patients, 98% in Latino patients, and 120% in patients of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry,” said Gerren Wilson, the former head of inclusion strategy and partnerships at Genentech. “We won’t be in a position to provide them the care we aspire to if we don’t change immediately.”
Biotech is making clinical trial diversity a priority—with companies including Amgen, Biogen, and Genentech, to name a few, creating infrastructure necessary to make their trials more inclusive and accessible, as Bio.News details.
BIO’s taking action, too. In November, BIO launched Clinical Trials: The Power of Participation (CTPoP), a website with information about how trials work, how to enroll, and what to expect. Meanwhile, BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) is working to expand trials in Africa.
So, what should I expect during a clinical trial?Check out BIO’s helpful infographic answering commonly asked questions about the clinical trial process.
Read the whole thing.
Visit www.ctpop.org to learn more about clinical trials.
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