AstraZeneca signs PatientsLikeMe deal

AstraZeneca has announced that it will be gaining access to data relating to an additional 325,000 individuals to help with its drug development, thanks to a new deal with PatientsLikeMe.

The pharmaceutical firm has signed a five-year contract with the data company to help it to incorporate patient-centric information into its medication research.

In particular, AstraZeneca hopes that the partnership will allow it to further develop its investigations into conditions including cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases and lupus. Depending on the success of the working relationship, this list could be extended.

Briggs Morrison, head of global medicines development at AstraZeneca, commented: "Understanding what patients are experiencing every day and how they define the value of their treatments is fundamental to our ability to push the boundaries of science in developing the next generation of medicines."

He added that using real-time, real-world data and the latest technology should help the company to significantly improve its research operations.