Diversity in Clinical Trials

Pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and clinical research centers need to include diverse participants in clinical trials to collect more robust and complete data that broadens the understanding of gender, racial and ethnic differences in treatment responses. For years, clinical trial sponsors have sought to include a more diverse representation of the patient population in their studies. But clinical trial enrollment continues to underrepresent these racial and ethnic minorities. Despite understanding the causes for why diversity in clinical trial patient recruitment remains low, finding and implementing successful solutions remains a critical challenge. The objective of this module is to provide a better understanding of the current state of diversity in clinical trials, its causes and potential solutions. It also aims to present some solutions to common barriers preventing more diverse clinical trial participation.