Contributing Writer
AP photo
In this Jan. 8 file photo, a health worker checks a syringe before performing a trial run of COVID-19 vaccine delivery system
I’ve spent my career fighting for vulnerable patients, especially people of color. So I was ecstatic to hear about a new initiative from dozens of biotech companies.
These firms pledged to enroll more people of color in “clinical trials” years-long tests that show whether experimental drugs are safe and effective. Boosting diversity will tangibly improve the health of minority Americans.
White Americans are drastically overrepresented in clinical trials. Non-Hispanic whites account for 60 percent of the U.S. population, but roughly 86 percent of clinical trial participants. By contrast, Black Americans comprise 13 percent of the U.S. population but only 5 percent of clinical trial volunteers. Latino Americans account for 18 percent of the U.S. population but make up a measly 1 percent of trial participants.