Parexel said today it is collaborating with Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) to develop and promote wearable devices to improve collection of data during clinical trials.
Through the collaborative deal, the 2 companies will leverage their specific expertise to explore how wearables could improve study performance and new drug development and how sensors from several wearable devices could be streamlined into a single data system.
“We believe the use of wearables to collect data from trial participants represents a breakthrough in the digital transformation within the industry. Working with Sanofi, we believe we have a strong opportunity to streamline and automate data collection from multiple devices, collect high-quality data remotely and generate meaningful results, all while reducing burden on patients and sites, as well as lowering costs,” Parexel Informatics prez Xavier Flinois said in a prepared statement.
The companies’ initial focus will be on a collaborative pilot study of Parexels’ patient sensor solution which captures, transmits, stores and helps visualize study data in clinical trials.
In the single-site study, patient data is collected simultaneously through multiple wearable devices, the companies said. Results from the trial are expected “in the near future,” according to a press release.
“Our objective is to demonstrate the relevance of data collected remotely and the overall feasibility of utilizing wearables in clinical trials. Wearables are a core component of Sanofi’s digital trials strategy, and represent an important approach to automate patient processes using the latest technologies to bring new therapies to patients sooner. We are pleased to be collaborating with Parexel and leveraging their multi-functional expertise in this area. We are committed to further advancing the potential of this technology,” Sanofi clinical sciences & operations global head Lionel Bascles said in a press release.
In May, Sanofi said that the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended its insulin lispro biosimilar for approval.