DEPICT Act

Diverse and Equitable Participation in Clinical Trials Act or the DEPICT Act

This bill requires applications for an investigational use exemption of a new drug or medical device to include information about the demographic diversity of the clinical trial population and addresses related issues. (Generally, a developer of a new drug or device may seek an investigational use exemption to facilitate clinical investigations, as part of the process to obtain approval to sell that drug or device.)

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must issue regulations to require applications for such exemptions to include certain information, including (1) demographic data disaggregated by subgroup, where such data is available, about the expected or potential patient population; (2) the applicant's enrollment targets for the clinical trials involved, disaggregated by age group, sex, race, and ethnicity; (3) a diversity plan for how the applicant will meet these targets; and (4) what is known about the patient population, such as comorbidities.

The regulations must also require certain applicant reports to the FDA to address issues related to demographic diversity in clinical trials and product safety and effectiveness for demographic subgroups.

The bill also authorizes the FDA to, in certain instances, require additional studies or surveillance after a drug or device has been approved if the clinical trials used in the application process did not meet the demographic enrollment targets.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov