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Not long ago, diversity in clinical research seemed like an obscure topic. Ben Enejo, a partner at Arthur D. Little, recalls mentioning the theme in the past and getting blank stares.
But the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd helped highlight the importance of diversity on multiple fronts, including in clinical research. As a result, there are growing collaborations between academia and the industry dedicated to the theme. The FDA has also released guidance on race and ethnicity.
In the U.S., about 75% of clinical trial participants were white in 2020, according to the FDA.
“Now, if you go back 20 years, I would say between 80% and 90% of clinical trials were not diverse,” Enejo said. “You could say we’re going in the right direction now.”
But while discussions on diversity in clinical research have escalated, “thereR…