Basel, Switzerland – Last week, Sharon Rivera-Sanchez, the Founder and CEO of Trials of Color, took center stage at the prestigious DIA Europe conference held in Basel, Switzerland. The annual event, running from March 18-20, 2025, is a cornerstone gathering for the European life sciences community, attracting over 1,500 participants from more than 50 countries. This year’s focus was on addressing critical issues in science, healthcare, and clinical research, with a special emphasis on the inclusivity of clinical trials.
Sharon Rivera-Sanchez: A Voice for the Underserved
As a Triple Negative breast cancer survivor, Rivera-Sanchez brought a personal and urgent perspective to the panel discussion titled *Inclusion of Underserved Populations in Clinical Trials*. She highlighted the significant underrepresentation of Black and brown communities in clinical research, citing that only 4-5% of clinical trial participants over the past 18 years have come from these groups. Her organization, Trials of Color, was founded to combat this disparity and ensure that diverse populations are included in medical research.
Regulatory Landscape and Challenges
The panelists delved into the regulatory landscape, highlighting efforts by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to improve diversity in clinical trials. The FDA’s 2020 guidelines, which encourage diversity plans in phase-three trials, were noted as a critical step forward.
The Importance of Inclusivity
The conference underscored the necessity of inclusivity for the scientific validity of clinical trial outcomes. Without adequate representation from diverse demographic groups, the safety and efficacy of treatments cannot be assured for the wider population. Rivera-Sanchez and her fellow panelists called for collective action to ensure that clinical research truly reflects the diversity of the global population.
“Let’s work together to ensure that all voices are heard, and that clinical research truly reflects the populations we aim to serve,” Rivera-Sanchez urged. Her call to action resonated throughout the conference, inspiring attendees to advocate for meaningful change in healthcare.
The DIA Europe conference served as a powerful platform for advocacy, with Rivera-Sanchez’s message of inclusivity and representation at the forefront, reminding the scientific community of the work still needed to achieve equitable healthcare for all.
