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Acclinate's Commitment to Health Equity

Acclinate, known for its innovative approach to clinical research, has recently announced significant strides in improving participation among Hispanic and Indigenous communities. This initiative comes as part of a broader commitment to enhance trust and representation in clinical trials, aligning with the needs of diverse populations.

Scaling Engagement for Underrepresented Communities

Acclinate has revealed plans to scale its operations to strengthen engagement within Hispanic and Indigenous groups. By strategically leveraging its community engagement model, the organization aims to foster relationships that go beyond mere transactional interactions.

Del Smith, the CEO of Acclinate, emphasized the importance of building trust within these communities, stating, "For too long, the industry has treated clinical trial representation and enrollment speed as competing priorities. At Acclinate, we've proven that trust is the greatest accelerator of science." This approach centers on community involvement, which is crucial for enhancing participation rates in clinical trials.

Addressing Critical Representation Gaps

Recent statistics highlight alarming disparities in clinical trial representation. For instance, only 6% of clinical trials accurately represent the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population. The 2024 FDA Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report sheds light on the critical need for representative clinical data, especially in oncology trials, where the enrolment of Black or African American individuals is disproportionately low, averaging just 1.7% despite making up 13.7% of the population. Similarly, Hispanic or Latino individuals are significantly underrepresented, averaging 7.1% enrollment against a population percentage of 20.0%. Indigenous populations account for less than 1.0% of participants in these trials.

Without data that reflects the true demographic makeup, ensuring the safety and efficacy of new treatments becomes challenging. Acclinate aims to bridge this gap through its innovative solutions and commitment to cultural relevance.

Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Participation

To meet these goals, Acclinate has advanced its proprietary e-DICT™ platform, which is capable of analyzing vital engagement data gathered from various community channels. This multi-channel approach allows the organization to assess sentiment and trust levels in real time, equipping sponsors with predictive insights regarding the willingness and readiness of specific demographic groups.

Kyle Ashe, Acclinate's Head of Commercial, noted, "We have enough ground-truth data to know who will engage before a study even opens. We are shifting the industry from months of waiting to immediate action." This transformative strategy promises to accelerate participant mobilization and address long-standing engagement challenges in clinical trials.

Collaboration and Community Insight

Acclinate's expansion is cognizant of the cultural contexts that shape health behaviors in Hispanic and Indigenous populations. As part of this initiative, the organization has been diligently forming partnerships with patient organizations and community ambassadors who have firsthand experience and understanding of the needs within these communities.

Meagan Holland, Acclinate's Director of Strategic Partnerships, expressed the goal of mobilizing one million lives for better health, underscoring the importance of collaboration in building sustainable trust with harder-to-reach patients: "We are ensuring that clinical research is a journey led with these communities, rather than something done to them."

Alignment with FDA Guidelines

Acclinate's community-led approach complies with recent FDA guidance aimed at improving clinical trial participation. This guidance calls for the establishment of bi-directional relationships between sponsors and communities, advocating for long-term trust over mere transactional relationships. By treating community members as stakeholders, Acclinate helps sponsors meet regulatory requirements while reshaping their strategies for patient recruitment and retention.

About Acclinate

Founded with the mission of promoting health equity, Acclinate leverages advanced predictive technology to enhance representation in clinical research. Through its digital community platform NOWINCLUDED and e-DICT™, the organization enriches trust and accelerates diverse participation in studies. Acclinate is dedicated to cultural relevance, transparency, and collaborative partnerships with the communities it aims to serve, ensuring that clinical research is reflective of the diverse populations it intends to benefit.

For further inquiries, you can reach out to Lauren Clements, Head of Marketing at Acclinate, via email at [email protected] or call 256-435-2800.