Clinical trial participants are predominantly white. Despite Black and Hispanic people respectively making up 12% and 16% of the U.S. population in 2011, together they made up only 6% of clinical trial participants overall that year.
Clinical trials that are representative of all patients are essential to ensure that treatments are effective for everyone. Drugs work differently for each person based on different factors. Including diverse patient populations in clinical trials makes sure these factors are accounted for. But the perception that recruiting white patients is easier, less time-consuming and more cost-efficient than recruiting underrepresented or underserved patients contributes to health disparities seen today.
