Sanofi has signed up to use PatientsLikeMe's new clinical trials search tool in a deal that it hopes will boost trial recruitment rates by matching patients to the studies its runs.

The tool will become part of Sanofi's trial recruitment process for a range of conditions, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and oncology, according to PatientsLikeMe.

The online patient community has around 200,000 users who have collectively reported real-world experiences of more than 1,500 diseases since PatientsLikeMe launched its first disease community in 2006.

PatientsLikeMe co-founder and chairman Jamie Heywood said: “Tens of thousands of people are actively engaged in monitoring their health and sharing their experiences on PatientsLikeMe.

“They're not just helping each other, but contributing directly to research. They are heroes in the truest sense, ideal partners for medical discovery, and the best source for real-world, real-time evidence.”

Sanofi's partnership with PatientsLikeMe and the non-profit Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) will also aim to raise awareness of clinical trials.

It wants to promote the benefits of, and opportunities for, trial participation to the online patient community's members.

The partnership will use PatientsLikeMe's recently launched clinical trials awareness tool to match patients with relevant Sanofi trials and CISCRP's educational materials to inform patients and their support network about the clinical research process.

The free tool draws on open data from the US government's clinicaltrials.gov website to match patients from around the globe with clinical trials based on their condition and location.

It allows patients to search for and be notified about, trials based on age, sex, disease or condition, and location criteria.

Ken Getz, CISCRP's founder and chairman, said: “An integrative approach that combines patient education with recruitment communication is essential to engaging informed study volunteers. We're very excited about our involvement in this ground-breaking collaboration.”

The partnership will also see Sanofi, PatientsLikeMe and CISCRP work together to raise awareness among doctors of the benefits of clinical trials for their patients.

Digital inspiration for pharma on mobile, social media, strategy, best practice, regulations and more