Clinical trials – being all-inclusive is an obligation

In this month’s issue we look at antimicrobial resistance and the work of the AMR Action Fund. As Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund says in his article on page 16, AMR is a slow-burning global crisis that, over the long term, has the potential to be even more catastrophic than COVID-19, and there is an urgent need to develop next-generation antibiotics to protect global health.

In our cover story about patient diversity in clinical trials, we look at why being all-inclusive is no longer an option, but an obligation, and why it’s time to put patient diversity in the spotlight. As Chris Ross says in his article in this month’s issue, ‘out of the 32,000 patients who took part in trials for the 53 novel medicines approved by the FDA in 2020, the majority (75%) were white. Just 8% were black or African American and even fewer (6%) were Asian’. He goes on to say that ‘if the goal of clinical research is to conduct trials that reflect real life, it’s clear the industry is falling short’. Read more on page 28.

On page 22 we have a special feature on communications excellence, looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on healthcare comms and the opportunities presented by a virtual future.

Looking ahead, in our September issue we will be focusing on the power of behaviour change, the difficulties of achieving that change, and the overall effects the pandemic will have on behaviour change in the years to come.

If you would like to make your voice heard on this topic, please get in touch at sales@pmlive.com

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Keep up to date with the latest developments in the UK and global healthcare marketplace – sign up to daily or weekly news alerts and fortnightly or monthly bulletins on specific topics at  www.pmlive.com/register