Beatty Bill Aims to Enhance Minority and Women Representation in Medical Research

Beatty Bill Aims to Enhance Minority and Women Representation in Medical Research

Legislation would reduce and help eliminate gender and

racial health disparities by improving clinical trial research diversity

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) recently introduced the Enhancing Minority and Women Representation in NIH Medical Research Act, H.R. 6224, legislation that would instruct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to collect additional data to better evaluate progress in reducing health disparities, encourage coordination between the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health to reduce health disparities, as well as ensure basic research projects better consider relevant biological variables between men and women.

Although current federal law requires the NIH to have minority and women participation in clinical trial research, diversity in clinical trials is still lacking. For example, African-American men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men, yet research from the University of California at Davis concluded African-American men represent merely four percent of prostate cancer clinical trial participants. In addition, heart disease kills roughly one in three women each year, but only 24 percent of participants in all heart-related studies are women, according to the American Heart Association.

“Clinical trials offer hope to millions living with chronic disease, illness and disability,” Beatty said. “It is imperative that clinical trials—which have the potential to lead to the development of lifesaving treatments—better reflect our diverse nation.” Beatty continued, “We must do everything in our power to better understand and reduce the health disparities that exist for African-Americans and women.”

“Accurate clinical research is integral when developing treatments to address some of the most devastating diseases and medical conditions folks across the country face,” Congressman David Young (IA-03) said. “This bipartisan legislation ensures clinical trials are representative of how different medical issues affect our diverse nation, and it is a necessary step to ensure our researchers at NIH have data inclusive of all Americans. I’m glad to join my colleague Congresswoman Beatty in working to move this important legislation forward.”

Beatty’s bill, H.R. 6224, has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and is awaiting further consideration. Cosponsors of the bill include Congressman David Young (IA-03), Congressman Michael M. Honda (CA-17), and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07).

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