Equitable Access and Inclusion in Myeloma trials in Europe (EQUAL-ME)

Project status: ongoing

Inadequate representation in clinical trials risks widening existing disparities in cancer outcomes for underserved populations. Ensuring that trials reflect real‑world patient populations is essential for developing treatments that are equitable, effective, and trusted by all people living with myeloma.

Despite growing recognition of this issue, there is currently no shared European consensus on how best to improve representation in myeloma clinical trials. This project aims to address that gap.

Project aim

This project seeks to identify, assess, and advance practical approaches to improving representation in European myeloma clinical trials. By bringing together existing evidence and the perspectives of key stakeholders, we will develop clear, actionable recommendations to support more inclusive trial design and recruitment across Europe.

Project approach

The project will be delivered in two main stages:

We will conduct a scoping review to map existing frameworks, toolkits, initiatives, and best‑practice guidance designed to support the recruitment of underserved populations into clinical trials. This review will also identify key gaps in knowledge and practice relevant to myeloma and the European context.
The scoping review protocol is publicly available: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17602138

Findings from the review will be explored through a series of multi‑stakeholder workshops, assessing their relevance and applicability to myeloma clinical trials in Europe. Working collaboratively with patients, clinicians, researchers, regulators, and industry representatives, we will draft, prioritise, and refine a set of practical, actionable recommendations to improve trial inclusivity.

graphic showing a broken pathway and someone looking from the other side

Get involved

We welcome expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who wish to engage with or contribute to this work. To register your interest, please contact: research@mpeurope.org

Thank you to Abbvie, Johnson & Johnson, Kite (Gilead), Pfizer, Roche and Takeda for funding this research project. Funders have no role in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data.