A Case Study from 2024 BOBI Chair’s Award Finalists Biogen, Langland & boxee

In 2024, the BHBIA brought Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) into focus, selecting it as the theme for the prestigious BOBI Chair’s Award. One of the shortlisted finalists has created a case study showcasing their work to address the crucial issue of representation in clinical trials.

About the project

Despite being disproportionately affected by certain health conditions, underserved populations are often excluded from clinical trials. This gap in participation leads to inequitable access to safe and effective treatments and disparities in health outcomes.

By bringing together expert panels and facilitating patient and carer advisory boards, the project gave experts a platform for sharing challenges, discussing barriers and creating strategies for more inclusive trial engagement across the UK.

A key takeaway from this work is the importance of building long-term trust and collaboration with underserved populations. The project defined new ways to involve these communities in the clinical trial process, including introducing DE&I criteria for site selection, supporting sites in educating and empowering patients, and introducing innovative patient engagement efforts.

This case study invites the healthcare industry to rethink its approach and take actionable steps to ensure progress towards diverse and inclusive clinical research: “Pharmaceutical companies must not expect under-served ethnic populations to take on this challenge: they have a responsibility to build equitable access to clinical trials for all patients, inclusive of under-served ethnic populations.”

To explore the full case study to uncover key learnings, click below:

To find out about the winner of the Chair’s Award for Best Approach to DE&I and the shortlisted entries, visit the BOBI pages.

The BHBIA is committed to empowering our members to deliver insights that represent diverse perspectives. You can access more resources and the BHBIA’s Guidelines for Inclusive Recruitment for Market Research Studies here.