Health IT, Pharma

Sanofi taps PatientsLikeMe to spur clinical trial participation

It’s no secret that drug developers have had a tough time recruiting clinical trial participants. […]

It’s no secret that drug developers have had a tough time recruiting clinical trial participants. Companies are trying a myriad of approaches to help pharmaceutical companies solve this challenge from crowd sourcing trial design and using remote monitoring to making better use of social media and social networking. The latest effort? Collaboration.

Sanofi (NYSE: SNY) and the nonprofit Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation are collaborating with PatientsLikeMe, making use of its clinical trial awareness tool. Sanofi will use PatientsLikeMe as part of its clinical trial recruitment for conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and oncology. The Center will provide educational materials to users of the Cambridge, Massachusetts patient-centered network interested in clinical trials to give a better understanding of the clinical research process.

“An integrative approach that combines patient education with recruitment communication is essential to engaging informed study volunteers,” said Ken Getz, CISCRP’s founder and chairman in a company statement.

Sanofi marks the second big pharma company to announce a collaboration with the patient-centered network since Merck announced it would start collaborating with PatientsLikeMe in August last year. Approaching patient-centered companies like PatientsLikeMe with a focus on education and transparency is one way to overcome some of the reluctance some potential trial participants might feel towards pharmaceutical companies.

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