Barriers and solutions to Alzheimer's disease clinical trial participation for Black Americans

Black Americans are disproportionately burdened by Alzheimer's disease (AD) relative to other racial groups in the United States and continue to be underrepresented in AD clinical trials. This review explores the primary barriers for participation in clinical trials among Black Americans and provides literature-based recommendations to improve the inclusion of Black Americans in AD clinical trials.

We searched electronic databases and gray literature for articles published in the United States through January 1, 2023, ultimately identifying 26 key articles for inclusion.

Barriers to participation in clinical trials for Black Americans are rooted in social determinants of health, including access to quality education and information, access to health care, economic stability, built environment, and community context. Best practices to improve the inclusion of Black Americans in clinical trials require pharmaceutical companies to adopt a multifaceted approach, investing in innovative strategies for site selection, development of local partnerships, outreach, and education.

While multisectoral action must occur to effectively address the disproportionate burden of AD on Black Americans, the pharmaceutical industry has an important part to play in this space due to their central role in product development and clinical trials.