Sex bias in drug research: a call for change
AUTHOR: Alyson J. McGragor
In the March 2016 issue of The Pharmaceutical Journal, A Royal Pharmaceutical Publication, we again see a thoughtful article by Dr. Alyson J. McGregor, a founding board member of the Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative. In the article, she makes the case that “the assumption that both sexes will react the same way has shaped a dangerous framework for medical research.”
She points out that, even though the US is now investing resources into shaping “personalized medicine”, this is far from the reality of healthcare delivery today, and “Our flawed practices cannot and should not continue as we patiently await future evidence gleaned from hypothetical PMI programmes.” She notes that “We already possess the scientific ability to determine the differences in drug metabolism and dose response in women and men. This work must be done for each and every medicine currently in widespread use. Half of our patients are women. They deserve the best that science and medicine has to offer.”