Black Americans Can Benefit From Walgreens Initiative To Detect Early Cancer

Black Americans of every age reportedly have higher death rates than any other racial or ethnic group for many types of cancer.

But pharmacy giant Walgreens is launching a new effort that could help change that scenario, potentially making the clinical trial experience more friendly, understandable, and accessible.

Walgreens and biotech firm Freenome are partnering in a multiyear relationship to advance clinical studies of Freenome’s blood-based tests for early cancer detection. Walgreens plans to use its national footprint, patient insights, compliant recruitment technology, and local infrastructure to engage diverse patient populations in Freenome’s multi-cancer research program.

Walgreens says clinical trials inclusive of diverse communities are critical to improving health outcomes, especially in cancer research. Cancer claims nearly 2,000 lives daily in the United States, but proactive screening tests can help find cancer at an early stage, even before symptoms appear.

The drug store chain reported the collaboration aligns with the National Cancer Plan’s goals of detecting cancer early and eliminating inequities. Walgreens’ pledge to recruit patients and conduct clinical trials comes after its largest rival, CVS Health, announced plans to exit its clinical trials unit by 2024. The latest move is an expansion for Walgreens, as it entered the clinical trials business a year ago.

Generally, Blacks have been chiefly excluded from clinical research because of past and current systemic medical mistreatment, contributing to distrust of the healthcare system. Another obstacle for many is experiencing or witnessing discrimination in such a setting.

Simultaneously, Black Americans historically have been underrepresented in clinical trials across disease categories. While progress has been made to boost the diversity of participation more recently, more work needs to be done. Walgreens reports Black Americans are more inclined to adhere to prescribed therapy if they know that the medical product includes patients like themselves.

For its part, Walgreens will initially recruit patients for Freenome’s Sanderson Study. It aims to enroll about 8,000 participants to evaluate Freenome’s blood-based screening tests for the early detection of multiple cancers. Once patients are enrolled, Walgreens healthcare providers will perform a single blood draw at one of the company’s clinical trial retail locations and conduct a telehealth patient follow-up one year after participating. Check out more details here.

Walgreens’ Chief Clinical Trials Officer Ramita Tandon stated, “At Walgreens, our aim is to help every community we serve see clinical research as a viable care option. Through our nationwide presence and trusted pharmacists, we can reach and engage previously underserved patient populations for clinical trials.”

She added, “Supporting the identification of cancers when they are most treatable is one more way we are helping to improve health outcomes of our communities and patients while advancing research in oncology.”

Freenome’s Chief Medical Officer Lance Baldo reflected, “Freenome’s goal is to make early cancer screening more convenient for everyone, and our clinical research should reflect that availability and accessibility. With community reach, study conduct capabilities, national presence, and real-world data generation resources, Walgreens is a natural partner to help deliver on that goal.”