May 17, 2023
Authored by: Adrelia Allen, Senior Director, Clinical Trial Patient Diversity, Merck Research
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Why diversity in clinical trials matters
Clinical trials are a critical part of the research process for new medicines and vaccines. The information gained is fundamental to the development of new ways to help treat and prevent disease. Evidence has shown that some drugs and vaccines show variations in the response to some individuals depending on their racial or genetic background. For this reason, it is important that volunteer participants of clinical trials appropriately reflect the people that the investigational medicine or vaccine is intending to treat.