Growing attention to equity and access for underrepresented populations in clinical research and care

Three items this week converge on a specific theme: clinical research and treatment access for populations that have historically been underserved or excluded. One study reports that while more adolescents and young adults with opioid use disorder started buprenorphine or methadone after a 2016 AAP policy push, the increase was small and six-month retention may have fallen, highlighting continued barriers for minors. A Science special issue argues that women remain poorly represented in clinical trials and that funding cuts threaten women-specific research. An opinion piece on GLP-1 use in children notes that despite a 310-fold rise in prescriptions for ages 8–11 since 2019, only 0.6% of children with obesity received one, and FDA approval could reduce disparities but requires balancing long-term unknowns.