York Pharma (R&D) Ltd.

Merck and Sanofi are joining Novartis’ 10-year commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research through a collaboration with historically Black colleges and universities. With new grants worth $17.7 million, the so-called Beacon of Hope program now totals more than $50 million in commitments over the decade-long project, which aims to address health disparities and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion across drug research and development, particularly in clinical trials. “Last year we issued a call to action to other like-minded companies and organizations to join us in creating this paradigm shift in health equity, and we are honored and humbled that Merck and Sanofi have answered that call,” Novartis US Foundation president Patrice Matchaba said in a statement. The three Big Pharmas will work with four HBCUs, which have seen increasing enrollment in recent years, to set up what they call Clinical Trial Centers of Excellence, or COEs. The partners aim to improve clinical study capabilities and ramp up inclusion of communities of color, Novartis said Wednesday. Pushes for trial diversity have been increasing within the industry and the FDA laid out guidance on doing so in recent months. Novartis had already set up a COE with Morehouse School of Medicine, and three more HBCUs have signed on to work with the pharmas: Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. “Healthy equity isn’t just a goal, it’s a right. But like so many rights we now enjoy, shepherding it from idea to movement to reality takes a concerted effort, unyielding will and strong partnerships,” Charles R. Drew president and CEO David Carlisle said in a statement. Morehouse’s first trial will test a cholesterol management pathway in patients who recently underwent an acute coronary syndrome event. More Novartis clinical trial partnerships could include cardiovascular, breast cancer and prostate cancer investigational meds. The university will “soon” begin evaluating Merck and Sanofi clinical studies to partner on. “Beacon of Hope opens new doors for Morehouse School of Medicine students and researchers,” said school president and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice in a statement. Aside from working on clinical trials, the Beacon of Hope program has also launched a 10-week paid summer fellowship, to occur every year for a decade. Novartis will train up to 250 scientists at 17 HBCU medical schools via a mentorship program that teaches drug discovery, data analytics and clinical research practices. Novartis is also teaming up on three-year scholarships for 120 students at HBCU medical schools and will award 100 research grants to faculty members researching drivers of health disparities over the course of the decade. The Big Pharma is also partnering with online education tool Coursera to roll out courses next year on STEM training in underserved communities. The goal is to increase biomedical research career pathways. Clinical trial leaders, community health workers and pharma R&D will be the focuses of the first three courses.