GSK implements diversity in clinical trials
By Laurie Willis

GSK wants its clinical trial studies to reflect the country’s changing demographics. So for the past four years, we have been working to make that happen.

In 2004 GSK implemented our Diversity in Clinical Trials initiative in the US. GSK’s Setrina A. Hunter, who works in Global Clinical Operations, has long been a champion for diversity in clinical studies.

Setrina A. Hunter

“I’ve been on a mission about this ever since I started doing clinical research in 1988,” she says. “I’ve always noticed a lack of minority investigator participation. That’s where I noticed it first. The data tell the story about the patients. But there was just a glaring lack of minority investigators. Not only African-Americans, but Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians.”

Richard Cassidy

According to Richard Cassidy, who works in Research and Development at GSK, it’s a “no brainer.” “Basically, it was pretty obvious to the group that given the growing diversity of demographics in the U.S., i.e. the growing Latino population, the growing Asian population, that we needed to ensure that the data for the drugs that we are developing reflected the shifting demographics in the U.S.”

So far, GSK’s efforts seem to be paying off with a significant jump in the percentage of study participants from ethnically diverse backgrounds since 2004. Richard attributes the increase to “a combination of education, awareness and conscious effort.”

Go to the GSK Clinical Study Register for information on our clinical studies.

It isn’t easy. Sometimes, clinical study investigators are more willing to participate than their patients. “The studies can be pretty intense,” Setrina says. “Some of the patients may not want to be compliant with all of the study visits. They may not have the time. If it’s a placebo-controlled study, some of them may not want to take the placebo … [because] they’d have to come off whatever treatment they’re on.”

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Also, “We’re having to understand cultural dynamics. In one culture I may be standing too close to you, and in another culture that may be OK. There’s a lot to it, quite a lot to it.”

We’ve put it out there that GSK is actively moving forward in making sure we’re inclusive with our studies.
- Setrina A. Hunter

But no matter the challenges involved in getting more diversity in its clinical trials, GSK is committed to the worthwhile effort.

“We’ve put it out there that GSK is actively moving forward in making sure we’re inclusive with our studies,” Setrina says. “We’ve implemented training for our study staff, the investigators and the study coordinators in the field. It will go on until there’s no longer a need for it.”