Good Day BIO: Health equity requires clinical trial diversity

BIO Digital kicks off today with the opening of the Innovation Stage—two bonus days to network, hear pitches from potential partners, and meet global innovators, regional economic development groups, and some of the most exciting biotech start-ups in the world.

The Innovation Stage is free to attend from June 10-11—but you must register for your pass. 

If you would like to access the event after Sunday, June 13 or would like to participate in the BIO One-on-One Partnering system or educational content, choose a BIO All Access or BIO Connect registration.

The past year has shined a bright light on health disparities in the United States—and the importance of clinical trial diversity to overcoming them. Here’s why and how BIO is prioritizing this issue—and details on BIO's Clinical Trial Diversity Summit. 

“Communities of color have historically faced entrenched barriers to trial participation,” BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath and Sherlock Biosciences’ President and CEO Rahul Dhanda write this week in RealClearHealth. African Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population, but 5% of trial enrollment, while Latinos make up 18% of the population and 1% of trial participants. 

But ensuring that trials are representative of America’s population “leads to a better understanding of how a therapy will work, from effectiveness to side-effects and more,” they continue—and lacking access to trials can “have a direct impact on an individual’s health.” 

They outline ways we can improve clinical trial diversity—such as making participation “logistically easier” by providing transportation or gathering results through online reporting or wearable technology, expanding trial sites, and diversifying the biotech workforce. 

We’ll discuss all of these possible solutions and more during the first-ever BIO Clinical Trial Diversity Summit, taking place June 24-25, 2021. 

The live and free virtual summit will bring together stakeholders from across the clinical development spectrum—with speakers including industry leaders, academics, and health equity experts. 

This event is free to attend—but you must register in advance.

More Health Care News:

CNN: FDA's vaccine advisers to discuss rules for authorizing COVID-19 shots for kids
“Members of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will not be asked to discuss specific vaccines or to vote on any issues, but instead will weigh in on what specific extra information companies will have to provide in seeking authorization or approval for children.” 

The Washington Post: Biden administration to buy 500 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses to donate to the world
“The doses will be distributed by COVAX…and they will be targeted at low- and middle-income countries.”

The inaugural United Nations Food Systems Summit promises to put a much-needed global focus on innovations to improve the way we produce, process, transport, and consume food. Innovature previews the event—and explains why these innovations must include gene editing.

The UN’s Food Systems Summit is scheduled for September at the UN in New York, with a hybrid pre-summit taking place July 26-28 in Rome, which will open attendance to farmers, NGOs, researchers, and anyone else concerned about food systems. Stakeholders are invited to participate in an online agenda-setting event, UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Science Days (July 8-9). 

The Summit is “committed to delivering the latest evidence-based and scientific approaches to food systems transformation,” and to driving forward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

One innovation that we think should be included: gene editing, which could “provide real, tangible solutions” for the sustainability and resiliency of our food supply. A few examples include:

• “Climate change-ready” rice that can tolerate flooding, poor soil quality, and high temperatures.
• Tomatoes grown in protected, indoor “vertical farms” that guard against extreme weather and produce more crops with reduced need for water, land, and pesticides.
• Wheat varieties with improved growth, hardiness, and nutritional composition.

We’ve flagged many other gene-editing advances in the past, from improving plants’ ability to withstand heat to bolstering blueberries.

Read more about how BIO members are improving sustainability and reducing carbon in food production.

BIO supports global action on food system innovation—and we’ll be following these events, so stay tuned. We’ve also encouraged U.S. government action on the issue through areas like USDA biotechnology regulations and involvement of farmers through the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

More Agriculture and Environment News:

World Economic Forum: Supercharging public-private efforts in the race to net-zero and climate resilience
The Forum-hosted Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders calls on G7 and other world leaders to accelerate a just transition. Over 70 global CEOS—including several from BIO member companies—are helping to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy through credible cross-sector collaboration.

President Biden’s Thursday: Trip to Europe continues with a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, “to reaffirm the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” the day before Biden attends the G7 Summit. Meanwhile, infrastructure talks with Republicans reportedly fell apart.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra continues his week of testifying on the agency’s FY22 budget, today before Senate Finance at 10 AM ET. Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock will testify on FDA’s budget before a Senate Appropriations committee, as well. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will consider the nomination of Janie Simms Hipp to be general counsel of the Department of Agriculture.