Women Not Included: Drugs and clinical trials
Discovery

Women Not Included: Drugs and clinical trials

Aug 10, 2026
26:30
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About this episode

After working exclusively with male mice while looking for a treatment for type 1 diabetes, Dr Ella Hubber begins to uncover a much bigger issue: modern medicine is not built equally for everyone. Along with journalist Chhavi Sachdev, she explores how decades of clinical research have overlooked women with serious consequences. Through expert interviews, they examine how women were historically excluded from clinical trials, why biological differences matter in how drugs work, and how this has led to higher rates of side effects. The story reveals how gaps in research continue to shape women’s healthcare today. As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like. More representative trials, pharmaceutical companies held accountable, and medicine finally built for everyone. Presenter/Producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman

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Episode Details

Author
BBC World Service
Show Type
full
Audio Format
audio/mpeg

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