Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) has announced partnerships with Amgen and Merck to drive greater diversity in clinical trials. The collaboration aims to address disparities in clinical trial participation, particularly within oncology and cardiovascular disease research.
Collaborative Strategies for Community Engagement
Amgen and Merck will work with EQBMED to co-design strategies that foster closer collaborations and engagements with local trial sites and communities. This pilot program seeks to bring clinical trials to underrepresented and underserved patients by involving patients, providers, industry leaders, technical experts, and the community.
Dr. Darryl Sleep, MD, Head of Global Public Health at Amgen, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, "Ensuring equitable representation in clinical studies requires collaborators who share a common purpose. This partnership is an important step in breaking down barriers so we can focus on the crucial task of improving the health of patients with serious diseases, especially those who are disproportionately affected. Amgen is dedicated to conducting clinical research with representation of all patients who are afflicted with the diseases we are seeking to treat."
Infrastructure and Support Enhancements
As part of its commitment, Amgen plans to enhance infrastructure, trial capabilities, and capacities at community-facing sites. Merck will work with these sites to develop a clinical trial site assessment model and incorporate patient navigator and transportation support to help ease travel barriers for participants.
Dr. Luther Clark, MD, FACC, FACP, Executive Director, Global Medical and Scientific Affairs at Merck Research Laboratories, echoed these sentiments, adding, "At Merck, we understand the transformative impact of diversity in clinical trials. Collaborating with EQBMED allows us to amplify our efforts and drive meaningful change in biopharmaceutical research. By working together, we can learn from one another and increase our knowledge in a collective effort to help reduce health equity gaps. The goal of our collaboration is to help advance research of investigational medications in a broader and more diverse set of patients."
EQBMED's Mission and Future Directions
EQBMED, led by the Yale School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC) at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is funded by a grant from PhRMA. The organization aims to establish a sustainable clinical trial ecosystem by tailoring clinical trials to each site's maturity, unique aspirations, and community priorities.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, Associate Dean for Health Equity Research at Yale University, stated, "Partnering with industry leaders Amgen and Merck is a critical milestone in EQBMED's mission to establish a sustainable clinical trial ecosystem... We look forward to welcoming additional sponsor partners into our efforts to achieve and sustain clinical trial representation."
Stephen J. Ubl, President and Chief Executive Officer of PhRMA, added, "The Merck and Amgen announcement represents an exciting step forward for EQBMED. Our member companies are joining local sites and community partners dedicated to building a local, community-based infrastructure supporting clinical trial diversity."
