Ethnoracial and Geographic Disparities in Global Atopic Dermatitis Clinical Trials: An Update.

Abstract

Introduction Atopic dermatitis (AD) disproportionally impacts skin of color (SOC) patients, particularly Black/African American children. The number of global AD clinical trials is growing exponentially as the AD medication pipeline expands. Thus, we aimed to provide an update on racial, ethnic, and geographical disparities in global AD trials. Methods Race, ethnicity, and location data were extracted from phase 2 and 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials investigating AD therapies from 07/2019 to 12/2023 on ClinicalTrials.gov. To provide an update, data was compared to published data from Price et al. from January 2009 to July 2019. Results Twenty-four completed, randomized controlled trials (RCT) met the search criteria. North America hosted the highest percentage of RCTs. The majority of participants were White, followed by Asian, and Black/African American. Conclusion Despite growing awareness of how AD affects SOC patients, the majority of participants in AD clinical trials are still White. Further efforts to increase reporting and enrollment of diverse participants is critical to further improving clinical trial participant diversity.