Thread by @ProPublica

1/ Q: Who gets access to cutting-edge cancer medications in the US?

A: Mostly white people.

We crunched the numbers. propub.li/2xHHUKf

2/ Who doesn’t? Generally...

-African Americans
-Native Americans

According US_FDA data, in trials for 24 of the 31 cancer drugs approved since 2015, fewer than 5% of the patients were black.

African Americans make up 13.4% of the U.S. population.
propub.li/2xHHUKf

3/ Here’s another example: 1 in 5 Americans with blood cancer, like multiple myeloma, are black.

In one study @ProPublica looked at, only 1.8% of the participants were black.

See the details behind this data here: propub.li/2xHHUKf

4/ There’s also this: African Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials for cancer drugs — even when those cancers disproportionally affect them. Here’s another example.

Info behind this data here: propub.li/2xHHUKf

5/ Not enrolling in clinical trials is one of many ways that African Americans trail white Americans in health care quality.

Desperately ill black patients who have exhausted other options aren’t getting early access to drugs that could extend or improve their lives.

6/ While race is primarily seen as a social construct, there’s growing evidence that drugs may have different effects on different populations. We don’t know why that is — but under-representing minorities in drug trials isn’t helping.

7/ The FDA says it doesn’t have authority to require drugmakers to enroll specific numbers of minorities. Pharma companies say that requirements could add time and money to trial process, delaying drugs getting to market. propub.li/2xHHUKf

8/ A quotation from Dr. Jonathan Jackson (@egaly) founding director of the CARE Research Center at @MassGeneralNews

@egaly @MassGeneralNews 9/ Read the full story here: propub.li/2xHHUKf

And learn about our methodology for comparing these clinical trials here: propub.li/2pjbtOm

@egaly @MassGeneralNews 10/ Also, we’ve put together a guide for cancer patients for considering clinical studies: propub.li/2QFUQsB

@egaly @MassGeneralNews 11/ Lastly, sign up to get big stories like this delivered to your inbox as soon as they are published go.propublica.org/preferences