BIO Clinical Trial Diversity Summit

Building a Sustainable & Equitable Clinical Development Ecosystem

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BIO hosted its first-ever Summit on Increasing Diversity in Clinical Trials from June 24th – June 25th, 2021!

The two-day summit gathered thought leaders from community, patient, clinical research, policy and medical research organizations together with biopharmaceutical companies to design a comprehensive strategy to advance health equity in clinical trials with a focus on incorporating actionable solutions to execute real change. The program featured experts working on innovative solutions to create equitable research and promoted the sharing of best practices among panelists and attendees. Each day wrapped up with a networking session, designed to provide participants with an opportunity to create valuable, new connections while fostering existing relationships.

Learn More About the Event Here

Download Summit Speaker Biographies Here

Learn more about the inspiring leaders (from patient organizations, government, biopharmaceutical companies, academia, tech startups, and more!) who spoke at BIO's June 2021 Summit.

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Download Full Summit Program Here

BIO convened stakeholders from across the clinical development spectrum to engage in meaningful discussion on advancing health equity in clinical trials. Because ensuring clinical trial diversity is not just at the heart of BIO’s Equality Agenda— it’s driving the future development and availability of innovative medical products.

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Watch the Summit Videos:

Opening Remarks from Day 1

JUNE 24TH | 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM EST

Dr. Cartier Esham, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, MD, PhD CEO, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Dr. Loretta Christensen, MD, MBA, MSJ, FACS, Chief Medical Officer, Navajo Area Indian Health Service

Learning From Past Mistakes & Charting a New Path Forward

JUNE 24TH | 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM EST

Community leaders and medical professionals that represent and understand underserved communities will discuss lessons learned from past mistakes in clinical research and the path forward for creating a more equitable clinical development process.

Moderator: Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, MD, PhD CEO, Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Dr. Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association, & President, National Hispanic Health Foundation
Dr. Randall C. Morgan, Jr., MD, MBA, President & CEO, W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute
Silas Buchanan, CEO, Institute for eHealth Equity
Tom Anderson, MPH, Executive Director, Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)

The Social and Business Imperative of Increasing Clinical Trial Diversity

JUNE 24TH | 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM EST

Biopharmaceutical CEOs and industry leaders will discuss the social and business imperative of diverse participation in clinical trials and the best way to achieve it by sharing insights from the pandemic.

Moderator: Dr. Cartier Esham, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, BIO

Dr. Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, Chief Patient Officer, Executive VP of Population Health, Global Policy, and Strategic Communications, Merck
Staci Hargraves, VP, Portfolio Management, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Dr. Ted W. Love, MD, CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics

Change Comes from Within: Setting Targets and Building an Organization Focused on Health Equity

JUNE 24TH | 3:30 PM – 4:50 PM EST

Hear from executives and clinical development leaders that have set targets and enacted internal changes to increase clinical trial diversity.

Moderator: Dr. Barbara Bierer, MD, Director, Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center

Dr. Asha S. Collins, PhD, US Clinical Operations Head, Genentech
Dr. Darryl Sleep, MD (MBBCh, FCS(SA)), Chief Medical Officer, Amgen
Dr. Lisa Dunkle, MD, VP of Clinical Development, Global Medical Lead for COVID-19 Vaccine, Novavax
Dr. Melanie Ivarsson, PhD, MBA, Chief Development Officer, Moderna
Tamar Thompson, MPH, VP, US Government Affairs & Policy, Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Opening Remarks from Day 2

JUNE 25TH | 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM EST

Dr. Cartier Esham, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Dr. Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP, Managing Director, Tuckson Health Connections LLC

Taking Lessons Learned from COVID to Advance More Inclusive Approaches to Clinical Trials

JUNE 25TH | 12:30 PM – 1:50 PM EST

Industry leaders and researchers will discuss real world examples of trial design tools that enabled more inclusivity in trials during the pandemic and the implications for their continued use.

Moderator: Esther Krofah, MPP, Executive Director, Faster Cures, a Center of the Milken Institute

Dr. Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead
Dr. Janelle Sabo, PharmD, VP of Clinical Capabilities: Clinical Design, Delivery & Analytics (CDDA), Eli Lilly
John L. Newby II, JD, CEO, Virginia Biotechnology Association
Dr. Stacey J. Adam, PhD, Associate VP of Research Partnerships, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)

The Role of Tech & Data in Building a Sustainable, Expanded & Inclusive Clinical Trial

JUNE 25TH | 2:00 PM – 3:20 PM EST

Accessible technologies are critical to creating an inclusive clinical trial network. Experts will provide an overview of what trial designs, data and tools can enable diverse patient participation.

Moderator: Dr. Cartier Esham, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, BIO

Carolyn Magill, MBA, CEO & Board Director, Aetion
Dr. Cynthia Verst, PhD, President, R&DS Design & Delivery Innovation, IQVIA
David Coman, MBA, CEO, Science 37
Matt Walz, MBA, CEO, Trialbee
Maulik Mehta, MBA, Chief Business Officer, TriNetX

Building Trust in and Awareness of Opportunities to Participate in Clinical Trials

The Imperative of Community & Patient Engagement: Building Trust in and Awareness of Opportunities…

JUNE 25TH | 3:30 PM – 4:50 PM EST

Engaging with patients and community advocates is critical to advancing education about and awareness of opportunities to participate in clinical trials. Hear from leading advocates and thought leaders about how build, support and engage community engagement networks.

Moderator: Donna R. Cryer, JD, President & CEO of the Global Liver Institute

Debra Fraser-Howze, Principle, D. Fraser Associates, Founder, Choose Healthy Life
Dr. James Powell, MD, Principal Investigator, National Medical Association, Project IMPACT
Kim Cantor, MPA, Senior Director, Pyxis Partners, NIH All of Us Community and Provider Partner Network
Maya Bermingham, JD, Senior VP, Public Policy and Government Affairs, Regeneron
Dr. Stephaun Wallace, PhD, Director of External Relations, HIV Vaccine Trials Network