ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Nov. 3, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced the launch of a
new initiative designed to help create a more inclusive clinical
trial ecosystem through new approaches to training, education, and
improving the clinical research infrastructure within the U.S. This
effort builds on Abbott's commitment of engaging populations who
have historically been under-represented in medical research and
will improve health by increasing access to innovative treatment
options available within the trials process and increasing insights
around how different groups respond to new therapies.
People of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds make up nearly
40% of the U.S. population and are disproportionately impacted by
chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Yet
due to historical and societal barriers, these groups are still
heavily under-represented in clinical trials – at times
representing just 5% of trial enrollments. This gap compounds
existing health equity challenges and limits options for patients
battling complex health conditions.
Abbott's new initiative is focused on reducing barriers to
access and building on the company's focus over the last several
years of enhancing diversity within its own clinical trials. The
initiative also supports Abbott's 2030 Sustainability Plan focused
on innovating for access and affordability, addressing health
disparities and removing barriers to support its purpose of helping
people live fuller, healthier lives.
Abbott's new initiative includes:
- Funding and scholarships for future trial leaders
Through new partnerships with the four HBCU medical schools, the
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and
Science, the Howard University
College of Medicine, Meharry Medical
College, and the Morehouse School of
Medicine, alongside the National Black Nurses Association
and National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Abbott has dedicated
$5 million to fund nearly 300
scholarships over the next five years to support the next
generation of ethnically diverse nurses, doctors and researchers
who will lead and support future clinical trials. Increasing the
diversity of doctors and nurses within the clinical trial landscape
will also help advance trust in clinical research in diverse
communities across the U.S.
- Diversity in Research Medical Advisory Board
Made up of leading independent doctors, trialists and health
advocates, Abbott's new Diversity in Research Medical Advisory
Board (MAB) will counsel on methods to reduce barriers to access
within under-represented populations and communities of color and
provide feedback on how Abbott can continue to drive diversity
enrollment within select company clinical trials.
- Dedicated internal funding to improve access to Abbott
trials
Abbott will dedicate internal funding to improve access for women
and under-represented communities within Abbott trials. This
funding will support additional trial sites for select Abbott
trials, new investigator training opportunities and trial
components to eliminate barriers to participation such as
transportation vouchers and interpreters where needed.
- Convening Industry for Change
Abbott will convene patient advocates, industry experts, trialists
and a diverse set of physician thought leaders to develop and
publish an open-source perspective to highlight key learnings
around increasing clinical trial diversity across the health tech
industry.
"The best health care product is a product that helps the most
people, providing the greatest benefit. As an industry, we need to
set new standards to make sure that our clinical trials remain
representative of the people our products are designed to help,"
said Robert B. Ford, president and
chief executive officer, Abbott. "We want to continue to break down
both existing and emerging barriers to participation in clinical
trials so we can help more people have greater access to therapies
that have the potential to change lives."
Clinical Research: The Foundation of Future
Innovations
Clinical trials are the most effective way to understand how new
medical devices, diagnostic tests, medicine, and therapies impact
the health of human patients. They also represent opportunities to
potentially treat patients battling complex conditions who haven't
responded to traditional therapies.
Improving representation from diverse populations in clinical
trials is paramount to reducing health disparities and better
understanding the impact of the next generation of health care
therapies across all populations. Yet according to the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), people of diverse ethnic and
cultural backgrounds, as well as women, continue to remain
under-represented in clinical trials.
In many communities, several barriers to access have
historically disrupted enrollment into clinical trials, including
lack of access to trial sites, a lack of clarity around the trial
process, lack of trust and language barriers between patients and
their physician. In addition, a shortage of diverse investigators
leading trial sites – along with too few research nurses and
research coordinators representing diverse communities – compound
the challenge of increasing enrollment into clinical studies.
"The importance for people considering being a participant in a
clinical trial to have a doctor or nurse who looks like them, who
speaks their language and who understands their needs and those of
their community cannot be overstated," said Melvin Echols, M.D., FACC, cardiologist and
associate professor of medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine and a member of
Abbott's newly formed Diversity in Research Medical Advisory Board.
"Abbott's ability to build on its experience in supporting trials
in communities of color and develop a platform to expand access to
cutting edge therapies can truly change the care continuum for more
patients."
Innovating for Greater Access and Equity in Health
Abbott's work to drive diversity in medical research is one example
of the company innovating for greater access and affordability in
health, the key priority of Abbott's 2030 Sustainability
Plan. An important part of this work is advancing health
equity, working side-by-side with communities the company serves to
address health disparities and remove the barriers that prevent
people from living healthy lives.
To deliver results, Abbott has laid out long-term targets for
the business, and made expanding access to care a key
principle for community partnerships. This includes the
pioneering Future Well Communities program to remove social
barriers to better diabetes care, anchor sponsorships of the
American Diabetes Association's Health Equity Now initiative
and Easterseals' Black Child Fund, as well as local initiatives in
Chicago and Austin to address hypertension with the
American Heart Association, and new community partnerships in
Minneapolis and Chicago. The company also recently
announced a three-year partnership to be the Global Partner of
the Real Madrid Foundation to provide health and nutrition
education alongside malnutrition identification and prevention for
at-risk children around the world.
To learn more about Abbott's new Diversity in Clinical Trials
initiative visit inclusiveresearch.abbott
About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more
fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing
technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading
businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices,
nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues
serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at
www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbott-launches-new-initiative-to-drive-diversity-in-medical-research-and-improve-care-among-under-represented-populations-301414718.html
SOURCE Abbott