For Angel Akinbinu, director of trial equity and representation at Takeda, the issue of clinical trial representation is deeply personal. As a child, when her sister was diagnosed with a rare disease, her family was never informed about the possibility of participating in clinical research.
“We never knew it was even an option,” Akinbinu told BioSpace.
A similar situation occurred last year when her father was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. Again, medical professionals did not mention clinical trials as an option; Akinbinu herself sought out potential studies but found none that were suitable before her father passed away.
“I was disappointed that no one had offered that when there’s so much research that needs to be done on a disease like pancreatic cancer,” she said.
Now leading Takeda’s efforts in trial equity, Akinbinu oversees strategies and partnerships designed to increase awareness, education, and access for diverse patient populations in clinical research. Her team works to connect people—regardless of social position, age, gender, race or ethnicity—with information about available trials through targeted outreach focused on education and accessibility.
These initiatives are tied to Takeda’s stated purpose: creating better health outcomes for people worldwide while upholding values such as integrity, fairness, honesty and perseverance. Jonathan Butko, creative lead for patient recruitment and retention at Takeda, noted these values influence his work developing branding and messaging for clinical trial participation.
“A lot of times, it’s all the business stuff, which obviously is important, but I do enjoy the fact that Takeda makes sure that as we approach projects, we run what we’re doing through these value filters,” Butko said.
Butko explained that decisions about communications platforms and strategies are guided by authenticity and fairness: “As we start thinking about our communications platform, programs and strategies, we make sure that that authenticity, that tone, that integrity, that fairness, that honesty comes through not only in what we’re communicating but how we’re communicating it.”
Akinbinu described how integrity plays a role in educating patients about clinical trials while ensuring data from those trials is shared with both patient communities and physicians. “There’s this full continuum…of information,” she said.
To demonstrate why diverse representation matters in research studies, Akinbinu cited an example where a drug tested across different age groups revealed severe dehydration risks for older adults—an effect missed if only younger adults were studied. She pointed out some drugs have reached the market without being evaluated in key populations.
Butko agreed more representative trials help ensure medications are safe and effective for broader groups of patients.
At Takeda, efforts to improve representation begin with raising general awareness about clinical research before providing specific information about particular studies. Outreach extends beyond traditional health fairs into community settings like places of worship or social clubs to reach people where they live their daily lives.
“We’re trying to move away from waiting for people to seek out the information to us taking the information to them wherever they are,” Akinbinu said. “It’s showing up in the places that people are essentially living their lives.”
Butko emphasized adapting engagement tactics for younger generations who will be future participants in clinical trials. His team examines communication styles relevant to young people while aiming for authenticity rather than corporate marketing language: “It’s about keeping that honest voice and presenting the information in a way that is comfortable and familiar to each individual population.”
When introducing discussions around clinical research participation opportunities, Akinbinu noted it starts with accessible explanations free from industry jargon. Butko highlighted resources like Takeda's WeConnect website as tools designed to present complex topics clearly while reinforcing company values.
Both leaders find their work rewarding by increasing access to potentially beneficial studies now or later on. As Akinbinu put it: “Not everyone that you talk to about clinical trials is going to be in one…but it’s the opportunity to plant the seed…Maybe two years from now your father gets diagnosed with colorectal cancer…and you say ‘Hey doctor what about a clinical trial for my father?’ It’s something you might not have ever thought about…I think there’s just so much opportunity when you just provide that education…”
Information on careers at Takeda can be found on its jobs page.
