ICC Minority CRO News

Experts to Hunt Down Rogue Gene for China's Cholesterol Problem

2011-08-16T15:30:00.002-04:00

Scientists in Hong Kong are embarking on a study to identify genes that are responsible for high cholesterol and heart disease in patients in southern China, which they hope will pave the way for the design of better drugs. More

National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Medical Association (NMA) Renew Push for Minorities in Clinical Trials

2011-07-26T16:28:00.010-04:00

July 25, 2011 (Washington, DC) Minority participation in clinical trials has not improved over the past several decades, one researcher declared here at the National Medical Association (NMA) 2011 Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly. The shortage of minority participants and researchers continues despite arguments made in the medical community that minorities should be included to identify disparate reactions and disparities in heathcare.

When Kwame Osei, MD, started investigating the racial and ethnic differences in diabetes and obesity at Ohio State University in Columbus in the 1980's, he was told that minority participation in clinical trials would increase as more trials looked at health disparities and other area of interest to minority health.

"They told me 'If you build it, they will come,'" Dr. Osei told the audience, today. Well, that hasn't happened."

Thirty years later, minority participation in clinical trials remains lower than in the general population. According to Dr. Osei, minorities make up only 10% of participants in multicenter clinical trials.

Dr. Osi was 1 of 9 experts who spoke on "Increasing Diversity in Clinical Research" put together by the NMA's Project IMPACT ( Increase Minority Participation and Awareness of Clinical Trials).

Although many people are quick to attribute the lack of participation to mistrust of the medical system and large institutions, James H. Powell, MD, principal investigator for Project IMPACT, says that's only part of the story. "People don't know how important diversity in clinical research is," he says. He points to recent withdrawals of certain drugs from the market and wonders if perhaps the adverse effects seen after release have anything to do with how different populations and sub-populations respond to different medications.

"We've sold people on the idea of personalized medicine", he says. "But first we have to understand persons and the diversity of people. It's hard to say we have the right drug for a particular person if we haven't tested the drug in that population".

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is also concerned about the lack of minority representation among clinical investigators. According to John Gallin, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, who also spoke at the conference, the NIH will release a report from the NIH Task force for the Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research. He says the report will reiterate and elaborate on NIH's commitment to increasing diversity in clinical trials among participants and investigators. The goal will be for all trials to include women and minorities to allow for valid analysis of any potential differences in efficacy or safety in difference populations. It also calls for the initiation of outreach efforts.

Dr. Gallin also said that NIH is redesigning training programs for clinical investigators to ensure that physicians of all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue an interest in clinical research. These programs include the NIH Clinical Research Training Program, a newly designed NIH Medical Research Scholars Program, and the new Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program.

For physicians further in their careers, NIH offers sabbatical programs at the Clinical Center and the Bench-to-Bedside Program, which includes special funding for minority health issues and health disparities, such as sickle cell disease, obesity, and diabetes.

In sessions post-test, participants were asked whether diversity in clinical research is a social justice issue. About half answered "yes". Dr. Powell responded, "It is a social justice issue but it's a medical and a scientific issue as well".

Lack of minority participants in clinical trials contributes to health disparities and inhibits medical discovery, he explained, "When we discover differences, and we investigate the basis of those differences, it develops whole new lines of discovery".

ACOs Could Widen Racial Care Delivery Gap

2011-06-01T11:29:00.004-04:00

While the creation of accountable care organizations (ACOs) could lead to improved quality of care and cost savings, they also could create networks that exclude minorities and further widen healthcare disparities, according to commentators writing in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more.

Black Male Children Have Highest Rates of Food Allergies

2010-11-02T11:17:00.005-04:00

It has been found that children, males and Blacks, have the highest rates of food allergies in the United States, and the risk is.......more

Study: That "placebo effect" May Have a Hidden Meaning

2010-10-26T08:41:00.003-04:00

When is a placebo not a placebo?

Study Reveals Need to Retain More Black Women in Clnical Trials

2010-10-21T13:05:00.004-04:00

Results from a national clinical trial show that, although women do about the same as men when taking a Food and Drug Administration approved medication used for the treatment of HIV, Read more....

Poor Pregnant Women at Higher Risk for Diabetes

2010-10-07T15:22:00.004-04:00

According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, pregnant women negotiating the rocky landscape of poverty tend to gain weight and endure more medical complications, particularly gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) than those who are better off financially. More

New Study: African Americans More Likely Than any Other Race to Develop Alzheimer's Disease

2010-10-07T15:15:00.006-04:00

According to a new study released by the Alzheimer's Association, African Americans and Hispanics are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, but most shocking is the fact that blacks are more likely than any other race to develop the degenerative disease.
Read more

The Guatemala Syphilis Experiement's Tuskegee Roots

2010-10-07T14:57:00.003-04:00

Recent revelations that the U. S. Government knowingly infected Central Americans with syphilis in the 1940's have eerie echoes to the infamous 40 year experiment with 400 infected black men in Macon County, Alabama. More

Black Male Children Have Highest Rates of Food Allergies

2010-10-07T14:44:00.004-04:00

Children, males and blacks have the highest rates of food allergies in the United States, and the risk is 4.4 times higher among male black children than in the general population, a new study finds. Read more

ER Triage Decisions Delay Care for Blacks, Hispanics

2010-10-05T12:45:00.003-04:00

Black Americans and Hispanics who show up at emergency rooms with chest pain are less likely than whites to get the care they need, despite displaying the same symptoms, according to a study published in the September 24 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine.

Study: Hispanics Get Lower Quality Medical Care

2010-10-05T12:39:00.004-04:00

It's more discouraging news from the health disparity front: A new study suggets that elderly Hispanics tend to get inferior care. See more.

Doctors in Southeastern U.S. Lack Multicultural Awareness, Stroke Rates Rise Among Blacks

2010-10-05T12:32:00.006-04:00

A lack of multicultural awareness by doctors in the Southeastern area of the United States known as the Stroke Belt, due to the high frequency of strokes that occur in that region, read more.

Blacks, Women Experience Pain Medication Disparities, Study Finds

2010-10-05T12:26:00.005-04:00

Blacks are prescribed fewer pain medications and women receive weaker dosages of chronic pain meds, concludes a study published in the August issue of Journal of Pain. More

Cancer Researchers Testing Radical Change in Drug Trials

2010-10-05T12:07:00.002-04:00

U C Franciso's Laura Esserman is taking a leading role in I-Spy 2, an innovative cancer trial that will rotate through up to 12 experimental cancer therapies in an effort to determine if a radical new approach can identify the right population for the right therapy on a much smaller budget.

Study: Proximity to Fast-food Restaurants Linked to Stroke Risk

2010-10-05T08:52:00.002-04:00

Risk of stroke in a neighborhood increased by 1% for every fast-food restaurant. Read from CNN News.

Government's New Online Cancer Risk Tool Omits Minorities

2010-10-05T08:52:00.000-04:00

A new interactive online tool can help older Americans assess their risk for developing colon cancer. The catch is that it only works for whites.

Benefits of Statins Outweigh "slightly increased" Risk of Diabetes: Study

2010-10-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

According to data from a meta-analysis published in The Lancet on Wednesday, the use of statins such as Pfizer's Lipitor (atorvastatin) and AstraZeneca's Crestor (rosuvastatin) is linked to a "slightly increased" risk of developing diabetes. Read more.......

Genetic Mutation Linked to Prostate Cancer in Blacks

2010-10-05T08:48:00.000-04:00

A mutation has been identified by researchers in American black men with family history of prostate cancer.

Insured Black Women Suffer Same Delays in Breast Cancer Care as Uninsured

2010-10-05T08:47:00.000-04:00

Regardless of insurance status, black women have to wait twice as long as insured white women for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, a study by the GW Cancer Institute reveals. Read more.

Doctors in Southeastern U. S. Lack Multicultural Awareness, Stroke Rates Rise Among Blacks

2010-10-05T08:44:00.000-04:00

A lack of multicultural awareness by doctors in the Southeastern area of the United States known as the Stroke Belt---read more.

FDA Revises Rules on Reporting Safety Information During Clinical Trials

2010-09-29T11:24:00.003-04:00

The FDA on Tuesday issued a final rule clarifying how and when safety information must be reported during clinical trials of investigational drugs and biologics. Read more.

Racial Differences in Incident Heart Failure Among Young Adults

2010-09-22T09:56:00.001-04:00

Read original article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

System That Regulates Blood Pressure is Amiss in Some Healthy, Young African-Americans

2010-09-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

When stress increases blood pressure, a natural mechanism designed to bring it down by excreting more salt in the urine doesn't work well in about one-third of healthy, African-American adolescents, researchers report. Read article

Hormone Linked to High Blood Pressure and Blood Vessel disease in African Americans

2010-09-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have linked higher levels of the hormone aldosterone to high blood pressure and blood vessel disease in African Americans. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal glands and causes salt retention by the kidneys.

Newly Found Gene Variants Account for Kidney Diseases Among African-Americans, Studies Show

2010-09-22T09:53:00.000-04:00

For the first time, researchers have identified variations in a single gene that are strongly associated with kidney diseases disproportionately affecting African-Americans. This work was conducted by researchers at the national Institutes of Health (NIH) and by NIH-funded investigators at the John Hopkins University.

Heart Pumping Variations Revealed Among African and Chinese Americans

2010-09-22T09:49:00.000-04:00

Racial differences may explain risk levels. Read press release from John Hopkins Medicine.

Three Factors That Can Make or Break the Physician-Patient Relationship

2010-04-27T14:21:00.004-04:00

Medicine has evolved from a culture of "doctor knows best" to one of patient-centered care. But not all physicians or their patients have hopped on the pendulum and swung to the other side. Read more.

Race Matters: Cardiovascular Trials Not Reporting Race, Asthma Researchers Differ on Inclusivity

2009-11-10T09:07:00.001-05:00

Race not reported in more than half of randomized trials for cardiovascular disease. Read more.

Ethnic Liver Cells Help Drug Race

2009-11-10T09:02:00.003-05:00

Scientists have produced liver cells specific to different ethnic groups which could revolutionise the development of drugs to treat diseases. See more.

Women's Heart Attack Rates Go Up, Men's Go Down

2009-11-10T08:55:00.005-05:00

To learn more about this study please read the following article.

Simple Measures Can Encourage African Americans to Join Clinical Trials

2009-09-09T16:34:00.002-04:00

African Americans participate in clinical trials far less frequently than do non-Hispanic whites. Read more.

Scientists ID New Biomarker for Prostate Cancer

2009-09-08T13:26:00.001-04:00

See what the University of Michigan researchers say about the new biomarker for Prostate Cancer.

NIH Study Stopped Early Due to Safety Concerns

2009-09-08T13:11:00.004-04:00

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stopped a clinical trial testing a drug treatment for pulmonary hypertension in adults with sickle cell disease nearly one year early due to safety concerns. See full article here.

Scientists Present First Genetic Evidence for Why Placebos Work

2009-09-08T11:40:00.004-04:00

Placebos are a sham.... Read more from the Newsletter of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

Doctors Unaware of Many Drug Approval Uses

2009-09-02T15:12:00.001-04:00

See what researchers say about physicians who erroneously think certain off-label uses of prescription drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Reform Efforts Include Work on Health Disparities

2009-09-01T15:48:00.001-04:00

As health reform legislation takes shape, federal officials and legislators are taking steps to make sure that existing health system disparities are addessed. Read more.

Study: Hispanics Get Lower-quality Medical Care

2009-09-01T15:43:00.001-04:00

With this new study there is more discouraging news from the health disparity front. Read more.

Researchers Fight For Ethnic Diversity in Trials

2009-09-01T15:41:00.001-04:00

Find out how researchers are fighting for ethnic diversity in clinicals trials.

Study: Racial Gap in Prostate Cancer Falls

2009-09-01T15:32:00.003-04:00

A new study has concluded that the gap in prostate cancer between African-American men and white men has fallen. Learn more about this study.

Black Youth Invents Surgical Technique at 14 Years of Age

2009-08-12T10:54:00.003-04:00

Tony Hansberry II isn't waiting to finish medical school to contribute to improved medical care. Read more about this article on Black America Web News.

What are clinical trials?

2009-07-30T14:25:00.003-04:00

See the Patient's Guide to Minority Participation in Clinical Trials according to the Hormone Foundation.

Increasing Minority Participation in Clinical Research

2009-07-30T14:06:00.003-04:00

Read the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and learn how to increase the minority participation in clinical research.

Hip-Hop for the Heart Sends a culturally sensitive Message

2009-07-30T11:27:00.003-04:00

The story highlights by Sabriya Rice, CNN Medical Producer, can be found here.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for most minority groups
Culturally sensitive messages may help change health outcomes for next generation
Genetics can influence both predisposition to disease and treatment type

Diversifying into Life Sciences

2009-07-23T09:27:00.008-04:00

Francis Jones, President/CEO of Innovative Clinical Concepts, was quoted in an article in the Indianapolis Business Journal discussing minority business obstacles in the life sciences arena.

Francis spent 34 years at Lilly conducting and managing clinical trials before founding Innovative Clinical Concepts LLC on East 86th Street in 2003.

Francis aims to recruit minority patients for human trials, which would provide a more diverse test population and, quite possibly, more accurate results. However, convincing large pharmaceutical makers of that need has been difficult. Moreover, most drug companies contract with much larger competitors to conduct trials. “Being a minority in health care, where there is some perception of our capability as to actually doing that type of work, that is a problem,” Jones said. Asked whether she’s had nibbles from Lilly, Jones would only say, “It’s been very difficult across the board.” Read more.

Five Hypertension Genes Found in Black Americans

2009-07-23T09:14:00.004-04:00

Federal researchers have identified five genetic variants associated with high blood pressure in Black Americans. Read more.

HHS report highlights minority health disparities

2009-06-16T09:54:00.000-04:00

According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the United States spends more than any other nation in the world on health care, in 2007 we spent $2.2 trillion, and despite consistent increases in spending, disparities among demographic groups persist. Low-income Americans and racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care. With unemployment on the rise, the disparities already apparent among these groups will continue to increase, the HHS said. The agency said it is vital that health reform reduces costs to make health care affordable; protects a patient's choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; invests in prevention and wellness; and assures quality, affordable health care.

At a news briefing following the release of the report, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus announced their reform priorities for reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. The groups called for elevating the National Institutes of Health’s National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and strengthening HHS’ Office of Minority Health. They also called for a public health insurance plan option and adequate reimbursement for language and translation services.