Big pharma turns to wearables to track participants in clinical trials

Washington

PHARMACEUTICAL companies are enlisting Fitbits and other gadgets strapped to patients' wrists, chests and skin as a way to bring drugs to market faster.

What began as an aid for athletes and dieters to track their movements is quickly becoming a critical tool for medical researchers and drugmakers. By outfitting trial participants with wearables, companies are starting to amass precise information and gather round-the-clock data in hopes of streamlining trials and better understanding whether a drug is working.