Clinical trials are a much-needed tool in discovering new treatments in the fight against disease. It is important that these clinical trials reflect the makeup of the whole U.S. population.
However, the history of clinical trials and recent studies indicate the same thing: the overwhelming majority of people who participate are white. That means drugs, therapies and potential cures are not being tested to make sure they are safe and effective for all the patients who may need them.
Dr. Robert Winn is the director and Lipman chair of Oncology at VCU Massey Cancer Center. Dr. Winn is a principal investigator on several community-based projects funded by the NIH and National Cancer Institute and has received national and international acclaim for his efforts to empower underserved patient populations, improve healthcare delivery, and ensure equal access to cancer care.
He joins us to talk about a program established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to help ensure all people are represented in clinical trials.
