Meharry Medical College has received a joint contribution of $18 million from global healthcare company Sanofi. The joint investment to Meharry Medical College, Howard University College of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine is a 10-year investment that is intended to increase diversity in clinical studies. The funding will be used to hire clinical research staff, establish infrastructure such as online chat services and pharmacy upgrades, create customized training programs and more.
Dr. James Hildreth, president/CEO of Meharry Medical College expressed his gratitude by emphasizing the invaluable partnership that Sanofi has provided with this donation. This partnership allows for an opportunity to strengthen the infrastructure for clinical trials at the Center of Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research.
“This support is crucial to our mission of addressing health care disparities and promoting health equity by ensuring that clinical trials are inclusive and representative of all communities,” said Dr. Hildreth. “Investments like this prove that Meharry’s future is bright and that the college continues to be a leader in national efforts to break down the barriers that have historically prevented the underserved from accessing cutting-edge medical treatments.”
Increasing diversity in clinical trials is crucial in closing health disparities. With more diverse clinical trials researchers will better be able to understand variations in drug responses, the differences in data for personalized treatments, how diseases affect populations by race and ethnicity and more.
“At Sanofi, our mission is to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives, and this means all people’s lives, regardless of their race or ethnicity,” said Lionel Bascles, senior vice president of Global Head of Clinical Trials and Operations at Sanofi. “By partnering with these three esteemed Historically Black College and University medical schools, we hope to facilitate new inroads to communities that have been underrepresented in healthcare for far too long. Increasing diversity and inclusion is essential to the research and development of medicines and vaccines for people of all backgrounds.”
Meharry’s Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Anil Shanker, Ph.D., said: “Sanofi’s partnership in the Beacon of Hope program underscores its recognition of the critical gaps in the representation of diverse populations in clinical and translational research. This collaboration reinforces Meharry’s mission to train the next generation of health care researchers and tackle the health disparities that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Sanofi’s long-term commitment and funding will greatly enhance our research efforts, advancing our goal of creating a healthier and more equitable world.”
