Research, Race and Profit

Abstract

Health disparity based on racial categories has been a popular topic for quite some time. Health challenges among American minority populations are no secret. Individuals within Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities are the most disadvantaged regarding well-being. The use of Pharmacology (the branch of medicine focusing on the knowledge and study of drugs) is a tool to alleviate health issues in minority communities. Specifically, heart failure is a major American public health issue. Compared to other races, African Americans suffer disproportionately higher rates of heart failure. Consequently, BiDil was designed to specifically treat African Americans, which made BiDil the first drug categorized as race-based medicine. This chapter will examine significant heart studies before BiDil, BiDil’s path to approval and the racial aftershock felt in the areas of economics, medicalization, and genetics with physician-patient critiques and nutritional solutions.