3567 An Analysis of Current Trends in Inclusion of Historically Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Trials: Women and Geriatrics
Authors: Chen Jacqueline , Park Kaitlyn , Uhm Sun Young , Spinrad Amelia , Uniya Apurva , Pire-Smerkanich Nancy , Pacifici Eunjoo 
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Clinical trials (CTs) play an important role in developing new treatments, expanding or refining treatments that are already available, and/or identifying behavioral changes that can prolong or improve the lives of subjects. CTs are also conducted to understand normal human physiology, pathophysiology, and factors associated with health outcomes. Results from CTs are then used to determine the safety and efficacy of medications or treatment. CT participants should reflect the diversity of those receiving the treatments because, exclusion of specific populations in CTs may potentially result in knowledge gaps for clinicians and regulators. Historically, women and geriatrics have been underrepresented as CT participants. For women, this is the result of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action in 1977 which restricted women with childbearing potential from participating in phase I and early phase II CTs after thousands of birth defects resulted from thalidomide usage during pregnancy. While the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s 1992 and 2001 reports documented an increased female inclusion in later stages of CTs, earlier phases of CTs were still lacking. Likewise, older adults and geriatrics have been excluded in CTs arbitrarily or to avoid adverse events associated with drug-drug interactions and comorbidities. Over the past few decades, the FDA has worked to address this issue and increase diversity and transparency in CTs. In 2015, the FDA’s Action Plan for Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) Section 907 called for improved CT inclusion and reporting of demographic subgroups (sex, age, race, and ethnicity), highlighting three priority areas: quality, participation, and transparency. This research examines the current state of female inclusion in phase I and II CTs (2016 to 2017) and geriatric inclusion in phase III CTs (2010 to 2017). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To assess female representation in phase I and II CTs, data from 2016 CTs was extracted from clinicaltrials.gov. The average percentage of male and female participation in trials recruiting for males and females was determined; CTs conducted in only males or females (due to sex specific disease states) were excluded. The data was further differentiated into investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials to determine any differences in sex representation. Data from 2017 CTs on clinicaltrials.gov will be extracted and analyzed as well as 2016 to 2017 data from FDA novel drug approvals. To assess geriatric representation in phase III CTs, geriatric subsections of drug labels from novel drug applications approved between 2010 to 2017 were assessed for geriatric-specific information based on four areas: 1) reporting of CT including geriatrics, 2) reporting of percentage of CT participants ages 75+, 3) providing geriatric dosage recommendations, 4) determining product safety and efficacy for geriatrics. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is mandatory that all US CTs are registered on clinicaltrials.gov with the exception of Phase I studies, and results posted within 1 year of CT completion. In 2016, 916 phase I and 713 phase II CTs were registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Of these registered CTs, 4% of phase I and 9% of phase II CTs posted results. Of these, phase I studies included more males than females. Of these, phase I studies showed higher percentage of males (58%) than females (42%). In phase I/II, phase II, and phase II/III CTs, females were represented at a higher levels than males by 8-20% (Table 1). Phase I industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials and phase II/III investigator-initiated trials included less females than males (Table 2); all other types of CTs had more female than male subjects (Table 2). Preliminary findings will be expanded to include 2017 CTs and a wider pool of clinical trials will include all those associated with FDA novel drugs approved in 2016 and 2017. Of the 250 labels of novel drugs approved from 2010 to 2017 assessed for geriatric inclusion, 74% reported a CT including geriatrics, and 55% reported including CT participants ages 75+. Further, 31% provided geriatric dosage recommendations and 62% indicated insufficient evidence to determine product safety/efficacy for geriatrics (Figure 1). There was no consistent increase following the 2015 implementation of FDASIA section 907 in any of the four areas examined (Figure 2). Labels providing geriatric dosage recommendations were consistently the least fulfilled area across all years analyzed (Figure 3). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: A lack of inclusion of specific populations in CTs can lead to serious complications. For example, in 2013, the FDA required a lower recommended dose for women for drugs containing the sedative-hypnotic zolpidem (i.e. Ambien) due to persisting next morning drowsiness; the FDA arbitrarily recommended the dosage be halved from 10 mg to 5 mg as it found that women appeared to eliminate zolpidem from their bodies more slowly than men. Additionally, $35.7 million is spent annually on hospitalization from adverse drug reactions in the elderly. And, although government acts and initiatives have called for greater inclusion of certain populations like females and geriatrics in CTs, there is no penalty for exclusion. Problems like these may be avoided if these specific populations are included in CTs so that drugs can be properly studied. It may be preliminary to make conclusions about female representation in phase I clinical trials because it is not mandatory to register all phase I trials on clinicaltrials.gov, but further investigation will be conducted into FDA summary reports. Preliminary findings indicate that efforts to include female subjects may be effective in the subset of studies that reported their results. As of 2017, 51.3% of the U.S. population over 18 years old is female (U.S. Census Bureau). Early clinical trials often help to establish safety and dosing for phase III trials. Thus, it is pertinent that the inclusion rate is reflective of the general population at all clinical trial stages, not just pivotal, phase III trials. It would be prudent to monitor this trend as more studies report their results. Given that the average US life expectancy is now 78 years and that elderly population is expected to double in coming decades (NIH, 2016), there is an urgent need to include this population in current and future clinical research. Geriatrics, particularly those age 75+, use more than a third of total prescription and over-the-counter medications sold in US (Merck Institute, 2014), but is severely underrepresented in CTs. The effects of polypharmacy and changes in drug metabolism with age increase the need for specific drug dosage recommendations for geriatrics. As there was no discernable difference in drug labels fulfilling areas examined before and after 2015, FDASIA implementation may not have impacted geriatric inclusion in CT for drugs approved between 2010 to 2017. As many of these CTs began prior to FDASIA 2012 signing and 2015 implementation, the legislation’s full impact may occur in future years. Nonetheless, inadequate language currently found in geriatric drug labels can create challenges for clinicians when prescribing these medications for geriatric patients, potentially contributing to adverse drug events.