Let's talk medical research

At Antidote, we aim to make it easy for researchers and patients to connect. And a big part of that work is creating opportunities for people to learn more about medical research and dispelling myths about medical research participation, both for patients and researchers.

Increasingly, medical researchers acknowledge the need for more diversity in study participants so that trials can better predict the real-world impact of a drug or medical device. Yet a big question remains: How can researchers better reach diverse populations to drive minority participation in medical research?

Minority participation in medical research is important for all conditions, but is critical for ailments that disproportionately impact people of color, like lupus.

In the end, it was vanity that brought Shanelle Gabriel to the doctor who diagnosed her lupus. At least that’s how she tells it.

The aim of medical research is to drive the development of new treatments and cures for diseases. But how are priorities set? Why do some diseases receive more funding for research than others?

The hall was full of people clad in conference attire: black suits, white shirts, and, for some, an adventurous pop of color in a shoe or a tie.

On March 6th, Antidote’s partners Lupus and Allied Diseases Association and Lupus Research Alliance, along with the Lupus Foundation of America, released the Lupus Patient Voices report.

When Erica Barnes founded Chloe's Fight Rare Disease Foundation along with her husband, Philip, in 2014, she had two goals:

“I have a vision of a world where every single child with a rare disease has a treatment option," said Erica Barnes, founder of Chloe's Fight Rare Disease Foundation.

“No one who has an invisible chronic illness that is not life threatening is looking for a clinical trial. We already have our hands full just getting through each day. Living with chronic pain is not an easy task.” - Kim Johnson, I Tripped Over a Stone