
Walmart is all set to make an entry into the clinical trial sector by launching a new healthcare research company, the retail giant announced on Wednesday.
The company mission is to deliver healthcare that is both more equitable and of higher quality. The focus will be on drugs that treat different chronic conditions. By foraying into this sector, Walmart is following in the footsteps of pharmacy chain Walgreens, which revealed a similar move earlier this year in a bid to improve its trial diversity. CVS also started offering these trials last year.
Generally, patient recruitment in clinical trials is a huge challenge because very few people offer to participate. This leads to many such studies being delayed or canceled altogether.
The company noted that older adults (particularly women), minorities and people living in rural areas don’t have adequate representation in clinical trials for drugs that treat such issues, even though they are equally impacted by chronic illnesses as everyone else. FDA data shows that in 2020, three-quarters of trial participants were white, 11% were Hispanic, and Black and Asian people made up just 8 and 6% of the numbers, respectively. As such, improving diversity in such groups is a priority for Walmart and the FDA alike.
Walmart is currently collaborating with a variety of partners, including drug centres, academic medical institutes and clinical research firms. The company understands that it has a colossal reach – 9 in every 10 Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store – so it’s aiming to make full use of its community ties to have more diverse groups take part in clinical trials for chronic illnesses.
“At Walmart, we want to help ensure all our customers have access to high quality, affordable and convenient healthcare resources, including innovative research,” said John Wigneswaran, the company’s Chief Medical Officer. “We know our customers are interested in participating in healthcare research, but many have not had access until now. We are already making an impact for our customers and for medical research, by raising patient trust and engagement in their care.”
The retailer is using its MyHealthJourney application to simplify the process for patients. The app lets them track and consolidate all their health- and insurance-related data in one place. It will inform the users of any care services and research opportunities they could potentially use to take better care of themselves.
Walmart has added that it sees the new research facility as a natural extension of its overall commitment to improving access to and affordability of healthcare. Bill Hawkins, Chairman of Duke University Health, stated that Walmart’s efforts in this domain are not just innovative but also highly influential. The giant’s intentions behind venturing into this domain are also exemplary – it wants to play its part in making a difference for people of all races, ages and genders by giving them equal access to research. He also added this initiative will not just be beneficial for the health of individual patients but also the health of many communities that are homes to Walmart stores.