Digital-minded Novartis taps Apple's ResearchKit for smartphone MS study

Fierce Pharma ------ Novartis has launched plenty of large-scale multiple sclerosis studies. But its newest one is different. The latest, dubbed elevateMS, allows participants to contribute using their smartphones, no matter where they are. Researchers will collect sensor-based data on their performance of physical tasks and their symptoms in an effort to “improve understanding of the daily challenges” patients face. The study could also “uncover new potential measurements of treatment effectiveness," the Swiss drugmaker said Tuesday. The study’s mobile app, designed with input from patients, neurologists and disease advocates, was built on the Apple ResearchKit platform, which the tech giant unveiled back in 2015. Last July, GlaxoSmithKline claimed to be the first to use it to run a study, which evaluated 300 rheumatoid arthritis patients. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.