Biogen Will Ensure Increased Diversity in Aduhelm Trials

January 27, 2022

Biogen has just promised that Black and Latinx people will account for at least 18% of participants in Aduhelm’s mandated confirmatory study. Only 0.6% of participants in the trials that led to the approval of the controversial Alzheimer’s drug were Black, even less than the 2-3% the group represents in the average clinical trial.

According to Jason Mast of Endpoints News, “The promise comes after decades in which Black and Latinx Americans were chronically underrepresented in trials for the memory-wasting disease, despite being up to twice as likely to have it. And it comes just weeks after the company was specifically told by CMS to include these groups in another clinical trial before insurers pay for Aduhelm.”