AstraZeneca to pilot digital app in upcoming ovarian cancer trials

British drug maker AstraZeneca has enlisted the help of Voluntis to develop a companion mobile app for women with ovarian cancer who are undergoing a combination therapy.

“We are delighted to be partnering with AstraZeneca for this project," Voluntis CEO Pierre Leurent said. "AstraZeneca has a strong focus on the use of companion devices in drug development. Their approach, combined with our technological, medical and regulatory expertise provides the perfect synergy to create a personalised therapeutic solution that goes beyond the pill to best serve the needs of patients and their health care providers.”

The smartphone app by the France-based digital health solutions provider will be tested in three separate clinical trials sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute starting next year. The clinical trials will involve women with recurrent platinum-sensitive high-grass ovarian cancer who are taking a combination treatment of AstraZeneca's cancer-fighting drugs cediranib and olaparib.

The app is supposed to help patients and physicians manage side effects, such as hypertension and diarrhea, more efficiently. 

“Empowering patients with this smartphone-based app gives them greater control of their treatment and management of their response," Antoine Yver, head of oncology in global medicines development at AstraZeneca, said. "The support it provides can further reduce medication dose modification and discontinuation rates and help maintain patients on therapy to improve their treatment outcome.”