Health technology firm myTomorrows and Rare Disease Research (RDR) have announced a US-based collaboration to improve patient identification and referral into rare disease clinical trials.
Initially focused on RDR sites in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, the partnership is designed to support a more structured pathway for connecting patients, families and clinicians with relevant studies.
Netherlands-headquartered myTomorrows, which has a New York office, has aided more than 17,700 patients and 3,000 physicians across in excess of 440 sites in more than 135 countries worldwide. RDR is an independent US clinical research site network focused only on rare disease studies.
The companies said their partnership could help address longstanding challenges in rare disease trial recruitment, including limited visibility of studies and complex eligibility criteria.
Through the collaboration, RDR will employ myTomorrows’ platform to enable referring physicians and specialist centres to identify potentially suitable trials run by the network and submit structured referrals directly to site teams. The platform supports preliminary matching against study criteria and aims to improve the quality and completeness of referral information before site-level review.
Once a potential match is identified, referrals can be submitted to the specific RDR research team, communicating through a centralised workflow. Investigators will continue to assess eligibility and determine enrolment in line with study protocols.
The partnership also includes support for patients and families seeking information about available trials. Patient navigators from myTomorrows may assist with gathering medical information, reviewing trial options and facilitating referrals to research sites where deemed appropriate.
CEO of Rare Disease Research, Han C Phan, said the partnership enable the organisations to connect with patients earlier in their care pathway and improve alignment between referrals and study criteria.
“More structured referrals and clearer eligibility alignment can help our teams focus on the patients most likely to be a fit for a given study, while creating a more efficient and supportive experience for families and referring providers,” he said.
CEO of myTomorrows, Michel van Harten, added that the approach is intended to reduce administrative burden and streamline recruitment processes for trial sites.