Walgreens and Boehringer Ingelheim Are Partnering to Improve Diversity in Clinical Trials

May 02, 2024 at 09:22 AM EDT

Joint collaborations bring Boehringer Ingelheim’s Phase III clinical trial to communities through Walgreens pharmacy clinical trial centers and EmVenio’s mobile research units, aimed at improving access to trials

Walgreens and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced a strategic collaboration aimed at optimizing recruitment and making clinical trials more accessible, inclusive and equitable. This collaboration will offer people an opportunity to learn about and potentially participate in an important Phase III clinical trial within the familiar and accessible environment of Walgreens pharmacies, reflecting a shared vision to expand access to healthcare and research.

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Through this collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim will leverage select Walgreens community pharmacies as clinical trial sites for people living with obesity, overweight and type 2 diabetes. The effort aims to dismantle barriers, improve access, and address equitable health representation in clinical trials, especially among Black and Hispanic adults who are more likely to have obesity in the U.S. and have historically been underrepresented.

“Embracing our pharmacy clinical trial centers in this study underscores our joint commitment to community health and innovation,” said Ramita Tandon, Chief Clinical Trials Officer at Walgreens. “This model not only provides foundational education on clinical research for patients but also empowers individuals, offering them a new pathway to engage in their healthcare through clinical trial participation. It’s a step forward in transforming the landscape of clinical research, helping to make clinical trials more inclusive and accessible.”

Additionally, Boehringer is partnering with EmVenio Research to complement this initiative by introducing mobile research units to extend reach and provide additional options for participation.

“Boehringer is proud to embrace this community-centric approach to clinical research with Walgreens and EmVenio,” said Lennart Jungersten, Senior Vice President, Medicine & Regulatory Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. “By bringing clinical trials into the heart of local communities, we’re making them more accessible, helping to provide access to diverse populations with pressing health needs to participate in our clinical trials. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to helping those living with overweight and obesity to transform lives for generations to come.”

It is estimated that over 1 billion people in the world live with obesity, and numbers are continuing to rise, with an estimated 24% of the entire world population affected by 2035. Obesity is included among cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (C-R-M) diseases, and, collectively, these are the leading cause of death worldwide.

“At EmVenio, we believe that innovation is meaningful and access to clinical trial research should be universal. Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim exemplifies our commitment to breaking down barriers and expanding access to transformative healthcare solutions,” says Thad Wolfram, President, EmVenio Research. “By bringing clinical trials directly to local communities, we're not just conducting research, we're fostering inclusivity and diversity in clinical trials.”

Leveraging pharmacies and mobile research units for clinical trial research is a forward-thinking approach with the potential to enhance patient outcomes and set a new benchmark for inclusivity. Walgreens will also utilize advanced, real-world insights to identify and engage potential study participants as part of the collaboration.

About Boehringer in Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (C-R-M) Diseases

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving the lives of people living with interconnected cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (C-R-M) diseases. Our ambition is to create innovative, people-centric solutions for those living with one or more C-R-M diseases, to protect them from the consequences of these conditions.

Affecting over 1 billion lives globally, C-R-M diseases – including overweight and obesity – are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for up to 20 million deaths annually. C-R-M diseases are interconnected, coexist and can amplify one another, resulting in a significant burden on patients' lives. It is estimated that over 1 billion people in the world live with obesity, and numbers are continuing to rise, with an estimated 24% of the entire world population affected by 2035.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering healthcare services that improve care, lower costs, and help patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing a more critical role in healthcare than ever before, providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and healthcare services. Within the U.S. Healthcare segment, Walgreens portfolio also includes businesses in primary care, multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health and provider enablement.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in Research and Development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable tomorrow. Discover more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/us.

About EmVenio Research

EmVenio Research provides rapid and scalable mobile community research site solutions to better reach and recruit diverse, underrepresented and high-risk communities. EmVenio Research’s global network of skilled clinicians, principal investigators and state-of-the-art mobile community research sites enable us to provide robust clinical research services via home visits, on-site support at medical facilities, virtual visits and mobile sites. Visit emvenio.com to learn more.