Call on the Commission for inclusion of women in clinical trials

In a meeting organized on the occasion of International Women’s Day, health experts stated that too few women are taking part in clinical tests to develop new drugs, putting their lives at risk as women's bodies react differently to medicines. For instance, cardiovascular disease causes 40% of all deaths in the EU; it has traditionally been regarded as a male disease, keeping women largely out of clinical trials to develop new drugs. However, cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death among women.  Several leading stakeholders (such as the European Public Health Alliance and the European Institute of Women’s Health) called on regulatory agencies to adopt strict rules on the inclusion of women in clinical trials and a systematic gender analysis. This call is timely, given the ongoing revision of the EU's Clinical Trials Directive by the European Parliament and the Council.