Van Hollen, Menendez, Colleagues Call on Big Pharma to Prioritize Diversity in COVID-19 Clinical Trials

Statement

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), along with a group of their colleagues, in urging 15 pharmaceutical companies engaged in COVID-19 related work and their trade organization to prioritize diversity in any coronavirus vaccine or trial. Given the disproportionate impact of the outbreak on communities of color and other minority groups, the senators underscored the critical need for comprehensive demographic and racial data to ensure new treatments work for all Americans.

"The disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic are exacerbated by higher rates of chronic disease among many minority populations, inequitable access to health care, and bias within the health care system itself. As such, any clinical trials for vaccines and therapeutic treatments of COVID-19 must include participants that racially, socioeconomically, and otherwise demographically represent the United States," the senators wrote. "This virus is striking in its disproportionate impact on minority populations, and it more important than ever that these populations are represented in any clinical trials."

Letterswere sent to the CEOs of Abbot Labs, Abbivie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, CSL Behring, Eli Lilly, Genetech, Gilead, GSK US, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pzifer, Regeneron, Sanofi and the Biotech Innovation Organization (BIO).

"The FDA alone cannot fix the problem of underrepresentation. The private sector must also take proactive steps to ensure drug and vaccine trials include a diverse group of Americans," the senators continued. "We urge you to examine new and creative ways to enroll a diverse set of participants in COVID-19-related trials such as reducing barriers to clinical trials, utilizing diverse clinical trial personnel, ensuring language accessibility, and investing in participant recruitment by partnering with minority health and community advocacy groups."

The senators cited "alarming" research showing that, while African Americans represent 12% of the national population, they make up only 5% of all clinical trial participants. The numbers for Hispanics are even more stark at 16% and 1%, respectively.

Earlier this month, Senators Van Hollen, Menendez, and a number of their colleagues called on the Trump Administration to do more to help minority communities that are seeing a disproportionately higher impact from the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to Senators Van Hollen and Menendez, the letters were cosigned by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Penn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.),