Why Clinical Trials Matter As a Black Woman With Myasthenia Gravis: “I Paved The Way For The Next Person”

Clinical trials are crucial for advancing medical research and developing new treatments for diseases. However, Black Americans have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials, making up only about 5 percent of participants. This lack of diversity can have serious consequences, as certain conditions and treatments may affect different racial groups differently. BDO has launched a monthly clinical trials town hall where we speak to clinical trial experts and participants. This week, we spoke to Tasha White, the founder of My Walk With MG. “I definitely do believe, each disease out here, and there’s way too many to count, affects different races differently,” said White, who has the rare autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis. White participated in a clinical trial studying her condition during the years she was in remission, allowing researchers to learn more about how the disease progresses. Tasha’s myasthenia gravis clinical trial experience White’s journey into clinical research began when her neurologist asked if she would be interested in joining a study. “This particular clinical trial was for me to give blood,” White explained. “They wanted to basically track how I go about day-to-day with MG, and I was still in remission as well.” While her participation was relatively...