Table of Contents
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump Administration has purged Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website pages about diversity, equity and inclusion in the clinical trials used to test drugs and medical devices, as reported by STAT.
The pages included draft guidance on clinical trial diversity, a discussion paper about diversity in clinical trials from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the equity initiative at the Oncology Center of Excellence, which is responsible for cancer medicines. The FDA’s June 2024 draft guidance on clinical trial diversity, which can be downloaded here, was issued in response to a 2022 law that sought to fix the long-standing underrepresentation of certain populations in clinical studies.
Public Citizen Health Research Group Director Dr. Robert Steinbrook said obstructing these health initiatives will only cause harm.
“By opposing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives the Trump administration is already impeding clinical research, undermining the FDA’s scientific integrity and threatening the quality of care for all patients,” said Steinbrook.” “Clinical trials should be conducted in subjects who are representative of the people who will use the medical products. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this fundamental principle of medical research. The Trump administration should immediately stop censoring the FDA’s website and restore the agency’s ability to fully communicate with medical professionals and the public.”
Steinbrook added incoming FDA leadership should stay the course in improving clinical research and patient care through diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Congress should only confirm a FDA commissioner who is fully committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical research and ensures that participants in clinical trials are typical of the patients who will use the medical products,” said Steinbrook.
