20-02-2025
Birmingham startup using clinical trials to improve medical care for minorities
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Birmingham startup Acclinate is conducting medical trials focused on minorities to better address the medical needs of their communities.
Tiffany Whitlow and Del Smith founded Acclinate in 2020 and now have over 50 employees in a footprint that includes Birmingham, Huntsville, and Washington, D.C.
Time running out to save a slice of civil rights history in the Texas Panhandle
For Whitlow, starting Acclinate was personal.
'My son was diagnosed with asthma,' said Whitlow. 'He was given an albuterol inhaler. I had no idea at the time albuterol is 47% less effective in African-Americans and 67% less effective in Puerto Ricans.'
The 2020 census reported that minorities make up 40% of the U.S. population, but only participate in 2% of clinical trials. Because they are not included in the research, the medication is less effective for some groups.
Skepticism for trials is motivated by events like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which studied untreated syphilis in African-American men without their consent, even after treatment became widely available. The study ended in 1972.
Another event motivating skepticism is the harvesting and study of Henrietta Lacks' cervical cells in 1951, which were used without her knowledge or consent.
'You can't just shy over that,' said Whitlow. 'People want to know that you're aware.'
With more than 120,000 people participating in Acclinate's trials, their influence is growing. Whitlow plans to increase that number to 500,000 in the coming months.
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