While diversity in clinical trials has won attention in recent years, uneven representation of diverse populations in clinical trials remains a core barrier to global healthcare equity. Real-world data (RWD) paired with artificial intelligence techniques can almost instantly analyze how well drugs work in diverse subpopulations once they hit the market. RWD can also help…
Moving the needle on diversity in clinical trials: Where do we go from here?
Enhancing patient diversity in clinical trials has become a key priority in drug development. The main concern is that critical data that includes underrepresented patient populations is being left out as many clinical trials do not reflect all populations that may eventually take a therapy. These underrepresented groups consist of women, including those who are…
Breaking down barriers: Prioritizing diversity in clinical trials
Diversity in clinical trials is crucial for ensuring that new medical treatments are safe and effective for all populations. Last year, the FDA released draft guidance that aims to improve the enrollment of historically underrepresented populations in clinical trials. Demand is growing for more transparency and diversity in clinical trials, according to Erin Leckrone, senior…
Janssen sees Blood Cancer Awareness Month as an opportunity to close the clinical trial diversity gap
Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) is working to highlight the importance of cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma for Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September. Some 1.5 million people in the U.S. are currently living with or in remission from blood cancers, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Roughly 35,000 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma…
How the pandemic and George Floyd made clinical trial diversity a priority
Where would clinical trial diversity be without the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020? It likely wouldn’t be the priority it is today across the industry, according to Ariel Katz, CEO and co-founder of H1, a New York–based healthcare and data analytics platform firm. After the death of George…
A real-world data approach for bridging diversity disparities in clinical trials
The lack of appropriate representation in clinical trials, particularly in terms of ethnicity and race, has been a long-standing issue that directly impacts health equity and treatment efficacy. In a 2020 analysis of the global participation in clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted the vast difference between enrolled participants and the global population.…
Laying the groundwork for clinical trial diversity
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the importance of clinical trial diversity while also asserting remote clinical trials as a valid approach for a growing number of drug studies, as a recent JAMA study concluded. At the same time, the pandemic highlighted the need for continued progress, according to Otis Johnson, chief diversity, inclusion and sustainability officer…
Data-driven diversity: Making clinical trials equitable for all
Lack of diversity in clinical trials has long been an issue, driven by challenges with recruitment and participation. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have prioritized recruiting more diverse patient groups for their trials. And in some areas, it is working. In the past ten years, the representation of Black and African American patients in U.S.-based…
How Lilly Oncology is aiming to improve clinical trial diversity
Minorities tend to participate in clinical trials at far lower rates than their real-world demographics and prevalence of the disease, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In addition, minorities often have worse outcomes for certain cancers than the broader public. Just one example: the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer is 40% higher than…
Community clinical trials in oncology are on the rise
Community-based clinical trials are growing more common in oncology for several reasons. First, drug developers are looking to boost recruitment efforts and address traditional ethnic and economic health disparities in such studies. Second, community hospitals are growing better equipped to participate in such trials. And finally, drug developers are working on expanding the pool of…