Ending Lupus Starts With Black Participation in Clinical Trials

As a researcher who has dedicated my career to studying lupus, I cannot overstate the critical importance of clinical trials. Lupus is a complex, multifaceted autoimmune disease that affects different patients in very different ways. By its nature, these qualities make developing effective treatments an immense challenge. Clinical trials provide the only pathway to rigorously test new therapeutic approaches across the diverse lupus population. Why clinical trials are key One key reason clinical trials are so vital for lupus is the lack of approved treatment options currently available. At present, there are only three FDA-approved drugs specifically indicated for lupus—a startlingly low number given how prevalent and devastating this disease can be. The medical field’s limited arsenal leaves many lupus patients struggling with inadequate disease management. The development pipeline for new lupus drugs has also been frustratingly slow. Clearly, more research is desperately needed. Clinical trials represent the best hope for expediting scientific breakthroughs that could transform lupus care. Through carefully designed studies with representative patient populations, researchers can generate high-quality evidence to demonstrate whether an experimental therapy is safe and effective. Clinical trial data is the key that allows promising new treatments to cross the finish line and earn...