Marking Rare Disease Day 2022 by Sharing Colours + Why Black People Remain Underrepresented in Clinical Trials – Xtalks Life Science Podcast Ep. 50

In this episode, the editorial team discussed Rare Disease Day which is celebrated every year on February 28 (or February 29 in leap years). This year’s theme was “Share Your Colours,” where individuals with rare diseases were encouraged to share their experiences and aspirations to help raise awareness. The campaign from rarediseaseday.org included a touching video in which patients with rare diseases shared their stories. The editorial team discussed the encouraging growth seen in recent years in rare disease clinical research in the life science industries, providing hope for improved diagnosis, care and treatments for patients with rare diseases.

To mark the end of Black History Month, the team also talked about the underrepresentation of Black people in clinical trials. Although Black people are disproportionately affected by certain diseases due to a combination of socioeconomic and genetic factors, their rates of participation in clinical trials remain concerningly low. In the US, Black people only constitute five percent of all clinical trial participants. Studies show historic medical mistrust among Black people for healthcare systems is the major barrier to trial participation, along with socioeconomic barriers and a lack of patient education. Community outreach and active engagement by the medical and scientific communities are key to improving clinical trial participation among Black people.