Health
Novartis Expands Beacon of Hope Initiative for Clinical Trial Diversity
Novartis, Beacon of Hope, clinical trial diversity, collaboration, healthcare disparities, diversity and inclusion, Historically Black Medical School Centers of Excellence, economic barriers, education barriers
Novartis, in partnership with the Novartis US Foundation, has announced the expansion of its Beacon of Hope initiative, a 10-year commitment to addressing health and education inequities and promoting diversity and inclusion in the research and development ecosystem. To further these goals, six new organizations have joined the initiative, including Advarra, BeeKeeperAI, and Virb. These collaborators will provide digital tools and expertise to support clinical trials, research healthcare disparities, and overcome economic and education barriers at Historically Black Medical School Centers of Excellence.
The addition of Advarra, BeeKeeperAI, and Virb will enhance the capabilities of the Centers of Excellence by offering advanced technology support. Advarra will provide digitally enabled technology and professional services for clinical trial-site management, while BeeKeeperAI will offer a privacy-preserving collaboration platform for computing on real-world data. Virb will assist with sourcing and training clinical trial coordinators and research study staff. These strategic alliances aim to improve the Centers of Excellence’s patient engagement and reach.
Amgen and Alnylam, two leading pharmaceutical companies, have also committed to running clinical trials through the Centers of Excellence. Alnylam plans to offer a summer fellowship program to train underrepresented students for careers in drug development. These collaborations will further support the goals of the Beacon of Hope initiative and contribute to reducing healthcare disparities.
The Beacon of Hope initiative also includes grant, scholarship, and mentorship programs aimed at empowering the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders. Novartis and the Novartis US Foundation remain dedicated to bridging gaps in healthcare and education disparities, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and addressing the fundamental factors that contribute to inequities in health and education.
Through these collaborations and programs, Novartis and its partners are working towards a more equitable and inclusive research and development ecosystem, breaking down barriers that hinder promising career opportunities for students of color, and promoting greater diversity in clinical trials to ensure healthcare advancements benefit all communities.
For more information on Beacon of Hope programs, please visit: https://www.novartis.us/corporate-responsibility/beacon-hope.
About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. We deliver high-value medicines that alleviate society’s greatest disease burdens through technology leadership in R&D and novel access approaches. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis employs about 14,000 people in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.novartis.us
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SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation