Provided By:
Pfizer

By: Mike Gladstone, Global President of Inflammation & Immunology at Pfizer

I’ll never look at skin the same way again. A year ago, when I transitioned into my leadership role with Pfizer Inflammation & Immunology, I was excited to learn about the fascinating depth and complexity of autoimmune medicine, especially in dermatology. But some of the most important things I have learned are about more than science and biology. They are about vision, perception, empathy, acceptance and equity. I knew this role would change how I view skin. I now also know that we need to help our entire healthcare system change how it views skin.

Skin can be different in ways beyond just color and tone. Medical conditions of the skin can present in distinctive ways across various skin types, reflecting differences that go beyond appearance. Paying more attention to those presentations has revealed that many autoimmune conditions of the skin impact subsets of our population differently. For example, in the United States, Black children are almost 2x more likely to develop atopic dermatitis, or eczema, than White children. We must understand the different experiences of autoimmune skin conditions in people of color and incorporate that understanding into how these conditions are treated.

This includes taking a close look at the current state of equity and inclusion in medical dermatology and taking accountability for what we find—including within our own walls. We see that the work we’re already doing is making a difference, and that efforts to support health equity are making inroads.

We also see that we have more to do. That’s why, earlier this year, we published a rigorous analysis of demographics in 10 years of U.S. Pfizer clinical trials, including 213 trials across all five of our therapeutic areas. Within Pfizer Inflammation & Immunology, only 37.9% of our trials included representation of Black and African American participants at levels at or above U.S. census levels. This, frankly, just isn’t good enough. We collected these data points for many different racial and ethnic designations so that we can see with precision exactly where and how we need to improve, and to give us a baseline from which to measure progress.

But we can’t do it alone. Partnerships across—and beyond—the industry are critical. For example, we are working with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) on a diversity initiative focused on improving inclusion in AAD leadership and amplifying the concerns of patients of color. And we’re collaborating with the Skin of Color Society to fund fellowship opportunities with a research focus on dermatologic diseases among patients of color, particularly in areas where we see a need for more in-depth further clinical, translational and observational/prospective research. Through the Pfizer Multicultural Health Equity Collective, we are partnering with patient advocacy organizations, healthcare providers, community groups and legislative caucuses to advance our vision for health equity.

In addition, our Every Color is Primary initiative, which launched earlier this year, asks how we can all work together to close the gap on disparities. It aims to coordinate healthcare professionals, patients, advocates and research communities to support efforts to advance healthcare equity in dermatology.

It’s not enough to change how we look at skin conditions. We need to change the look of dermatology itself. Because while we know that skin can be diverse and complex, the healthcare infrastructure that exists to serve people with skin conditions does not reflect that same spectrum of skin color. Every Color is Primary can serve as both a starting point and a point of contact. It is a way for we at Pfizer to embrace accountability, invite scrutiny, and embrace partnership with others who share our passion for advancing equity and inclusion in dermatology and beyond.

Learn more.