Patient network PatientsLikeMe and global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will partner on research initiatives.
The five-year agreement will allow London-based AstraZeneca to access PatientsLikeMe's database of patient information for research purposes. The company will use the patient data to drive pharmaceutical development and improve outcomes across its main therapeutic areas, focusing initially on respiratory disease, lupus, diabetes and oncology, according to a news release.
AstraZeneca has undergone restructuring in the last few years, cutting nearly 3,000 positions and planning to move its headquarters from London to Cambridge in the U.K. in 2016. It has also narrowed its research focus and acquired biotech oncology company Spirogen, according to Reuters.
PatientsLikeMe is a patient-generated data community in which individuals can connect with others who have the same medical condition. The company, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., has also partnered with Walgreens to expand access to its data.