Ensuring Equity in Clinical Research: Insights from Pfizer’s Dr. Aida Habtezion

Transitioning from Academia to Industry Leadership

Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. Habtezion was an endowed and tenured Professor of Medicine, a practicing physician and scientist at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Habtezion describes her move from Stanford to Pfizer as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, coinciding with an unprecedented global health crisis — the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To transition from the world I grew up in – academic medicine…to come to a large company like Pfizer, I saw it as the chance of a lifetime to step out of my comfort zone,” she stated. This shift allowed her to witness and contribute to the rapid development and deployment of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and treatment.

She highlighted the privilege of being at the forefront of a global effort to combat a pandemic, which she describes as impacting “millions and billions of lives.” This transition not only expanded her horizons but also allowed her to see the direct translation of scientific discoveries into impactful medical solutions on a global scale.

Influencing Medical Safety and Patient Care

With over three decades of clinical and research expertise, Dr. Habtezion brings a deep understanding of balancing efficacy and safety in drug development. Having transitioned from Stanford to Pfizer, she leverages her experience to keep patient welfare at the forefront.

“Through my experience as a physician scientist and clinician, I was able to bring a unique understanding of the patient journey, in terms of addressing and treating diseases, to Pfizer,” she said.

“At Pfizer, you can really see how we are prioritizing the patient voice beginning at the earliest stages of research, all the way to the development of a therapeutic or a vaccine that can be used in clinical practice.”

— Dr. Aida Habtezion

The many years she spent in the clinic reinforced the necessity of comprehending patient experiences, which is crucial for developing therapies that improve health outcomes. At Pfizer, she oversees the organization responsible for monitoring the benefit-risk profile and safety of Pfizer’s portfolio of products from the first person that receives an investigational medicine or vaccine to the millions of patients that rely on these marketed therapies every day.

“When you are treating patients, you are always thinking about the medicines and vaccines that you’ll use, the benefit-risk.”

Dr. Habtezion’s dual experience as a physician and scientist allows her to integrate clinical insights with scientific research, ensuring therapies are both innovative and safe. She emphasizes the importance of continuous evaluation of new data to maintain high safety standards.

Dr. Habtezion’s efforts reflect her dedication to integrating patient care with medical safety, ensuring Pfizer’s products meet the highest standards and address diverse patient needs.

Integrating Patient Voices in Clinical Research

Dr. Habtezion emphasizes the essential role of patient perspectives in clinical research. Understanding and integrating patient voices from the earliest stages of research is crucial for developing effective medicines and vaccines.

“We have to be very intentional in terms of being active listeners and partnering with patients to ensure their voice is reflected in all aspects of research and development.”

At Pfizer, patient feedback is gathered early in the clinical trial process to ensure trials are patient-friendly and inclusive. “It’s really important to tie those two together because at the end, that’s what we are. We are focused on bringing breakthroughs that can have significant impact in patient health and human health,” she said.

Pfizer has made significant strides in ensuring that their clinical trials are patient-centric. Dr. Habtezion highlighted initiatives such as decentralized clinical trials and the creation of accessible platforms like PfizerClinicalTrials.com, designed to make clinical trial information more accessible and helping individuals learn about and prepare for participation.

“We want to make sure that from start to finish and beyond, participants have the best clinical trial experience possible.”

These efforts aim to make clinical trials more accessible and ensure diverse representation, which is critical for developing medicines and vaccines that are effective across different populations.

Embedding Equity in Research and Drug Development

Dr. Habtezion is a strong advocate for embedding equity throughout Pfizer’s R&D process. Recognizing the profound impact of social determinants on health outcomes, she emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and diversity from the outset of any research initiative.

Equity at Pfizer means ensuring that all populations, regardless of race, ethnicity, age or sex, are represented in their research. This inclusive approach ensures that the medicines and vaccines developed are effective across diverse groups.

“Ensuring diversity in research and development, from the beginning, is very important from an end-to-end perspective.”

— Dr. Aida Habtezion

To advance this commitment, Pfizer launched the Institute of Translational Equitable Medicine (ITEM) in 2021. This initiative aims to embed equity into all aspects of the R&D pipeline, address health disparities, and promote inclusivity in clinical trials. Leading ITEM, Dr. Habtezion works to close gaps in health disparities, ensuring all communities benefit from medical advancements.

“The main goal [of ITEM] is to really strive towards advancing health equity using a multi-level and end-to-end approach, whether it’s in our early research, our clinical trials or our medical practices.”

ITEM’s work includes ensuring that clinical trials reflect the diverse populations who will ultimately use Pfizer’s products. This means intentionally recruiting participants from varied backgrounds to ensure comprehensive data on how different populations respond to new treatments.

“At Pfizer we take a patient-centric approach to how we develop medicines and vaccines so that equity and inclusivity are embedded in everything that we do.”

In addition, PfizerLink.com, an industry-sponsored registry, connects potential participants with future clinical trials, promoting diversity. “We are ensuring that we are intentional and we think about the diverse population that our medicines and vaccines are going to be used so that our clinical trials can reflect those populations as well.”

Pfizer is also focused on understanding how different populations are affected by diseases and how they respond to treatments. This involves considering factors such as environment and other social determinants of health in their R&D processes.

Dr. Habtezion’s leadership in this area ensures that Pfizer’s approach to equity is comprehensive and actionable, promoting health equity and improving health outcomes for all communities. Her efforts reflect a deep commitment to addressing and reducing health disparities through thoughtful, inclusive research practices.