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Roche UK – Barriers to clinical trials recruiting ethnic minority patients

Roche UK has partnered with the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a that will explore the problems affecting the recruitment of ethnic minority patients to clinical trials. This project will focus on the experiences of patients affected by breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatology and stroke.

Roche UK and UCLH plan to use the project’s research to generate recommendations for overcoming these problems and making clinical trials more inclusive and representative of their target populations. These findings and recommendations will be published in a peer-reviewed journal after the project is completed in late 2023.

GSK – Reflecting diversity in patient-facing information

GSK is running multiple clinical trials investigating Multiple Myeloma, which in some areas of the world affects people of African descent at a rate 40% higher than the global average. To ensure their clinical trials reflect this diversity, GSK visually represented key patient groups in their trials’ patient-facing information, including recruitment materials. GSK also built in demographic performance indicators when starting Multiple Myeloma trials to track their progress and inform strategies for approaching different patient groups (e.g. by using decentralised clinical trial technologies).

These actions have already improved patient access to research as, in the US, five of GSK’s Multiple Myeloma trials have recruited approximately 24% of their participants from people of African descent.

Eisai – Co-developing inclusive recruitment strategies

Eisai is working with international stakeholders, including patient advocacy organisations and community leaders, from ethnic minority communities to develop strategies that will improve the diversity and representativeness of clinical trial participants. Examples of these strategies include:

• Selecting study sites using demographic data to maximise a clinical trial’s coverage of ethnic minority communities
• Reducing barriers to patient access to research by using electronic consent (eConsent), telemedicine, home health visits and mobile health units, and operating after business hours and on weekends
• Tailoring patient education and recruitment campaigns to meet the needs of specific groups in order to better engage potential participants in those communities

Roche UK – Partnering with patient organisations

Roche UK has partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support and the NHS Race and Health Observatory to increase the representation of black and ethnic minority patients in breast cancer clinical trials by: Ìý

• Creating new and accessible information so patients understand breast cancer and clinical trials and know how to access support
• Establishing two new clinical posts across Barts Health NHS Trust and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust to support patients deciding whether to take part in research
• Engaging with the wider community to ensure patients are supported beyond clinical settings
• Commissioning an independent evaluation of these initiatives to identify and share best practices

More information about this partnership can be .

AstraZeneca – Representation in liver disease research

AstraZeneca conducted a study in (NASH)*, which is a liver disease that has a higher prevalence among the Hispanic population.Ìý

The study was not recruiting sufficient numbers of Hispanic participants in the United States, so AstraZeneca collaborated with local doctors involved in the study to improve recruitment from this population by:ÌýÌý

• Using real-world health data to predict where these patients were locatedÌý
• Delivering first-of-their-kind NASH mass-screening events in high-risk communities to educate about NASH and identify potential participantsÌý
• Providing translated and culturally-appropriate study and educational materials directly to hospitals/clinics involved in recruiting participants to the studyÌýÌý
• Modifying the study protocol to ensure participants could more easily access genetic screeningÌý

These solutions have helped to increase participation, and at the time of data analysis, >90% of study participants self-identified as Hispanic.Ìý

* A new has replaced the term NASH with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).Ìý

Labcorp – Engaging communities using mobile clinics

Labcorp is partnering with community and faith-based organisations to increase access to health screening services. Labcorp has piloted a mobile clinic that supported existing efforts to make screening more accessible for underserved communities by bringing care closer to the community.Ìý

For example, to ensure Black people were well-represented in a kidney disease trial, Labcorp worked with a community-based nephrologist to bring its mobile clinic to a local faith-based event. Labcorp worked with the nephrologist to raise awareness of the trial, including its eligibility criteria, and used the mobile clinic to collect samples from potential participants.Ìý

In another example, Labcorp partnered with a Hispanic physician to use the mobile clinic to offer free preventive health screenings to the local Hispanic community – for some it was the first time their blood was drawn. In addition to accessing primary care, including blood pressure checks and eye exams, members of the community learned about clinical trials as a potential care option.Ìý

UCB – Patient involvement in Parkinson’s research

In partnership with and the , UCB has established a Patient Engagement Council for Parkinson’s Research to ensure patient insights are central to their research and clinical development programme for Parkinson’s disease.Ìý

The partnership has helped UCB focus its research on areas that patients consider to have the greatest impact on improving outcomes for the Parkinson’s community. This has included working with people living with Parkinson’s, and their care partners, who identify as Black, Asian, or Hispanic to understand their experiences, resulting in learnings that have helped UCB:Ìý

• Understand the best ways to raise awareness of available studies.Ìý
• Ensure study materials are created in a way that are inclusive and accessible.ÌýÌý
• Identify potential barriers to participating in Parkinson’s research and develop solutions to improve recruitment and retention from these diverse communities.Ìý

To build on this work, the partnership is now establishing a Community Leaders Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Board to help strengthen these community connections and translate these insights into UCB’s clinical trials and wider DEI strategy.Ìý