USA – Walmart has joined the growing number of health and retail conglomerates investing in pharmaceutical research by launching the Walmart Healthcare Research Institute (WHRI).
The Walmart Healthcare Research Institute (WHRI) will not conduct trials, but will lead Walmart’s efforts to connect patients who visit its massive, nationwide network of health centers with organizations that are conducting clinical trials.
The move follows in the footsteps of Walgreens and CVS, both of which launched clinical trial services businesses in the last year with the goal of connecting patients with trial sponsors.
All three claim that their network of locations, which includes socially vulnerable areas, will help to improve clinical study recruitment of under-represented groups such as African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Latinos.
According to a statement from Walmart, the WHRI will focus on therapies that can make a difference in populations such as older adults, rural residents, women, and minority populations, with a particular emphasis on chronic healthcare conditions.
According to the FDA, approximately three-quarters of clinical trial participants in the United States in 2020 were white, with only 11% Hispanic, 8% Black, and 6% Asian.
Furthermore, less than 4% of Americans participate in clinical trials, and roughly one-third of those who do drop out before the study is completed, resulting in the loss of critical data.
“We know our customers are interested in participating in healthcare research, but many have not had access until now,” said Dr. John Wigneswaran, Walmart’s chief medical officer.
He added that Walmart’s existing activities in this area are already achieving a threefold improvement in referrals compared to industry benchmarks.
He also pointed out that around 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart outlet, giving it enormous reach across the country.
Senior citizens, rural populations, women and people of color in the U.S. are often left out of clinical research because they lack awareness of trials and access to facilities.
Walmart is currently working with Laina Enterprises, a virtual clinical trial management platform, the retailer said in a press release.
Walmart said it is currently recruiting for chronic diseases including heart problems and diabetes. This is being done via the ‘MyHealthJourney’ patient portal, where patients are contacted if a study turns up that they may be able to take part in.
In September, Walmart said it would partner with UnitedHealth Group to provide preventative healthcare to elderly populations and telehealth services for all age groups.
Rival Walgreens launched its clinical trial service in June and claims to be in discussions with “many leading pharmaceutical companies.”
It has already collaborated with the University of North Texas on a research project involving African American HIV patients.
CVS began offering patient recruitment last year. Since then, it has collaborated with the US Department of Health and Human Services to track Covid variants, as well as with Pfizer on a study to track the long-term effects of a Covid infection.
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