DEI commitments by Pharma companies

DEI is an integral part of ESG initiatives.

Between 2020 and 2023, major pharmaceutical companies began publishing Diversity Commitment Reports. Some companies incorporate their diversity strategy into their Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports, while others have created separate statements.

The Diversity Commitment documents primarily focus on human resource initiatives, such as promoting diverse leadership, ensuring pay equity, and increasing supplier diversity. Most reports highlight numerical percentage changes in for example female executives hired or non-white employees.

Secondarily, these reports address commitments to improving diversity in Phase III clinical trials. The proposed strategies remain high-level, with only one of the top 20 big pharma companies looked at providing specific numbers regarding current status (Pfizer) or their future goals. In these DEI commitment statements, frequently mentioned action items include the need for diverse clinical trial supervisors and staff to enhance participant trust and relatability, as well as initiatives to promote clinical data-sharing for improved transparency.

Third, a few dozen companies have committed to the Global Health Equity Network Zero Health Gaps Pledge at the 2023 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. 

Notably, none of the reports mention diversity initiatives in preclinical R&D, which would help ensure the safety of future clinical trial participants.

This gap is crucial.

At the risk of being provocative, I assert: If preclinical research fails to properly account for ancestry and test for all technically feasible risk factors, all other efforts—including diverse clinical trials, and accessible drugs—are ethically questionable. Such practices could reduce these participants to unwitting guinea pigs, reinforcing the very fears that make minority groups hesitant to participate in clinical trials.

This oversight not only undermines the integrity of pharmaceutical research but also perpetuates historical injustices in medical experimentation. It's a reminder that true equity in healthcare must begin at the earliest stages of drug development, not just in clinical trials or marketing strategies.

Hope? But still too many questions

Interestingly, while corporate DEI reports offer little evidence of diversity initiatives in preclinical R&D, a review of scientific publications reveals a different picture. Several studies listed in the 'Science' section are authored by scientists employed by pharmaceutical companies (these papers are annotated). This discrepancy suggests two possible scenarios:

1. An internal communication gap: The departments producing scientific publications may not be effectively communicating their diversity-related findings to those responsible for DEI reporting.

2. Unstructured approach: The scientific work addressing diversity in preclinical R&D might be occurring in a more ad hoc manner, rather than as part of a structured, company-wide initiative.

My investigation into diversity initiatives in preclinical research by pharmaceutical companies continues to raise more questions than answers.

If the issue stems from a lack of information, education and/or awareness, I hope to contribute to positive change through this website and by being invited to help to support positive change.