#ClinicalTrialsSoWhite: How Drug Makers Are Using COVID-19 To Improve Trial Diversity

Pandemic Highlights Trials’ Minority Underrepresentation

Efforts to improve trial diversity predate COVID-19, but the pandemic’s disproportionate effects on minority communities have brought the issue to the forefront.

Closed up finger on keyboard with word CLINICAL TRIALS
Clinical trial diversity is a longtime topic of discussion, but COVID-19 has highlighted its importance • Source: Shutterstock

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a number of deficiencies within the US health care system, chief among them the vast gulf of inequality between different ethnic groups and geographic areas, a gulf that has resulted in the virus causing significant disease and death among Black, Latino and Native American communities. A consequence of that inequality is that the populations enrolled into clinical trials have historically often not properly reflected the ethnic makeup of the country.

The pandemic has drawn significant attention to the issue of clinical trial diversity, and as a result, several drug makers...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Clinical Trials

More from R&D

Sanofi Revels In More Positive Rilzabrutinib Data

 
• By 

The oral BTK inhibitor impresses in a Phase II trial for IgG4-related disease.

Is Zydus’s Agenus Deal Opportunistic Or Strategic?

 
• By 

Will Zydus’s acquisition and licensing deal with Agenus turn out to be a strategic move towards building an oncology portfolio or an opportunistic one driven by a venture capital mindset?

How AstraZeneca Aims To Stay Ahead In Lupus As New Competition Looms

 

The company has established the efficacy of its biologic Saphenlo in systemic lupus erythematosus but is now investing across modalities to stay ahead of rivals.