How pharma is finally researching issues that primarily affect women

Pharma is now concentrating on problems that impact women. Female participation will now directly contribute to cures for diseases that affect them, since more studies specifically targeted at women are planned.

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Until recently, clinical trials largely focused on catering to men's and men’s health issues; focusing less on conditions that affected women alone, or even primarily. This dynamic has resulted in a lack of treatments and knowledge about women-specific diseases, as well as clinical trial practices that aren’t typically tailored to women’s unique needs.

The good news is that we’re seeing pharma shifting focus towards issues that affect this half of the population. With more women-focused trials on the horizon, female participation will now directly contribute to therapies for diseases that exclusively or disproportionately affect them (think: breast cancer, menopause, thyroid disease, to name a few).

This creates new urgency for sponsors to address challenges that keep women from completing the full duration of studies, to ensure these studies can bring meaningful treatments to the public with minimal delays.

Be considerate of scheduling 

Many women are still the chief caregivers in their families, responsible for their kids, maintaining their homes, and sometimes even caring for their parents. Between these roles, as well as obligations like work, it can be almost impossible to find a moment for themselves, not to mention, take part in a clinical trial. If a woman has a standing appointment to check in for a trial, but her child is sick, she may be unable to participate that day. Sponsors need to be prepared to address these nuanced needs and coach sites on ways to be flexible.