Medical innovations and healthcare for everyone

African Americans are often excluded from healthcare options and underrepresented in clinical trials that can make a difference in their lives. We are committed to changing that. We seek out global patient advocates like Connie Montgomery to better understand the needs of underserved communities. We recognize the importance of hearing directly from community members to learn how we can better partner with them. Watch our video from one such community in South Carolina, USA.

Connie Montgomery is a global patient advocate and member of the Gullah Geechee community, a Creole people of African descent, living predominantly on the east coast of the United States, especially in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. They are the descendants of enslaved people who lived and worked under inhumane conditions and received little or no medical care. The historical experiences of the Gullah Geechee and other marginalized communities continue to shape their views on the healthcare industry to this day.

Diversity in clinical trials

Medicines may work differently for different people. Because every human is unique, so too is their response to healthcare treatments. One reason is contributing biological factors, including genetics, gender and age. The impact is often compounded by contributing socio-economic factors such as education, employment and living in remote areas.
Historically, women, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, rural populations and other underserved communities have often been underrepresented in clinical trials, limiting evidence-based knowledge about how potential treatments work in diverse populations.
At Boehringer Ingelheim, we understand the importance of diversity in clinical trials, not only to develop treatments that address the needs of our world’s increasingly diverse population, but also to enable more equitable healthcare.
We invited more than 25 advocates, including Connie, from different backgrounds – patients, care partners, healthcare professionals and researchers – to our Global Clinical Trial Experts and Diversity Panel in Amsterdam. In this three-day workshop in early September, we discussed the importance of establishing trust with diverse communities and how to partner to incorporate their insights throughout our medicine development process to ultimately create more inclusive research.

Addressing healthcare disparities through diversity in clinical trials

In our current world, we observe the impact of demographic changes, population movements, societal polarization and concerning healthcare disparities . These trends underline the importance of including more diversity criteria in the design of clinical trials. “Innovation in medicine will only be possible through real diversity in clinical trials. This will be essential if we are to develop solutions to some of the biggest challenges we see in our healthcare systems, which often prevent access for many underserved communities,” shares Dr. James Kinniburgh, Global Head of MORE HEALTH.

Historically, women, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, rural populations and other underserved communities have often been underrepresented in clinical trials. In 2020, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in the United States approved 53 novel drugs. Of the ca. 32,000 patients participating in these clinical trials, 75% were White, 11% Hispanic, 8% Black or African American and 6% Asian.¹ In contrast, the overall U.S. population is made up of 18.7% Hispanics and 12.1% Black or African Americans.² “These disparities underscore our commitment to ensure that diversity in clinical trials is a cornerstone of patient recruitment” emphasizes Kwame Appenteng, Real-World Evidence Oncology Lead, GIE.³

Celeste Woolfork, U.S. Head of MORE HEALTH adds, “Without diversity in clinical trials, it is impossible to ensure the efficacy and safety for different demographic groups who may respond differently to treatments due to genetic, cultural, or environmental factors. We have to ensure that everyone gets the chance to benefit from medical progress.”

A lack of diversity in clinical trials can have real-world consequences, as treatments developed based on these trials may not work as effectively for all patients.⁴

Lykke Hinsch Gylvin, Chief Medical Officer shares, "For people across the world to realize the full potential of innovative therapies, it is important to represent them well early on the drug development process. Going beyond diversity, we need to start measuring the level of equity and inclusion we are building in clinical trials to make a positive difference to patients across the world."