Partnership includes training program for medical students, focused on how to analyze clinical trial diversity data
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the Catalyzing Access to Research and Equity in Representation Group (CARER Group) announce a partnership to address health inequities and advance diversity in clinical trials. This collaboration builds on the Beacon of Hope Initiative, a ten-year program led by Novartis US Foundation to tackle systemic health disparities, which includes partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and historically Black medical schools, including Morehouse School of Medicine, as well as organizations such as Merck, Sanofi and the National Medical Association.
“This collaboration is a major step toward addressing systemic disparities in clinical research that can lead to disparities in healthcare outcomes,” said Stanley Lewis, founder and CEO of A28 Therapeutics and co-founder of the CARER Group. “Together with Morehouse School of Medicine, our goal is to highlight our performance as it relates to diversity and to improve equitable representation in clinical trials and ultimately across the entire healthcare industry.”
The Partnership has four strategic pillars:
1. Expanding the Clinical Trial Diversity (CTD) Scorecard The CARER Group developed a reporting and scoring system for clinical trial diversity, and since the organization’s founding, have reviewed all novel FDA approved drugs. The CTD Scorecards will be a cornerstone of the partnership, a data-driven tool measures the inclusion of diverse populations in FDA-approved drug trials. Regularly published updates will spotlight progress and highlight areas for improvement, holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable and pushing the industry to make meaningful changes.
2. Training Future Doctors to Promote Inclusive Research Practices Morehouse School of Medicine and the CARER Group will launch a training program for medical students, focused on how to analyze clinical trial diversity using the CTD Scorecards. Led by William Fitzsimmons, co-founder of the CARER Group and developer of the Scorecards, and Muhammed Idris, PhD, founding co-director of the Center of Excellence for the Validation of Digital Health Technologies at Morehouse School of Medicine, the program will include foundational materials, Zoom training sessions, hands-on applications, mentorship and ongoing assessments. Participating students will receive a stipend and will publish a white paper upon completing the training. “This training will empower students to evaluate pivotal trial data for novel new drugs and contribute to advancing equity in medical research,” Fitzsimmons noted.
The training is scheduled to start March 27, 2025. The inaugural cohort will consist of seven Morehouse School of Medicine students and is set to run for six to eight weeks during the spring 2025 semester.
3. Creating an Interactive Repository for Data and Insights An interactive, publicly accessible repository for CTD Scorecards has been developed at Morehouse School of Medicine that will allow stakeholders to analyze data and track progress in clinical trial diversity. “This repository will ensure transparency, keeping the data accessible and updated for all to see progress in trial diversity,” said Dr. Idris.
4. Engaging Communities and Raising Awareness Leveraging its strong ties to the Atlanta community, Morehouse School of Medicine will work with the CARER Group to organize community events, collaborate with patient advocacy groups, and conduct public outreach efforts. Dr. Rev. Leland Jones, head of the Community Advisory Board, said: “I was surprised that no one has represented this inequity in such a clear way. I hope the Scorecards will inspire my community to participate in advancing research and science.”
Morehouse School of Medicine and the CARER Group will share their findings through academic conferences and industry publications to further the reach of their initiatives.
