IRB Approves Sanguine BioSciences' Electronic Informed Consent And @Home Collection Platform

VALENCIA, Calif., Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanguine BioSciences, a biotechnology company providing transparency to patients in biomedical research, has announced its plans to deploy its @Home, web-based collection platform using its customized electronic Informed Consent Form.  

One of the biggest bottlenecks in furthering biomedical research is researcher's access to high quality, verified, and ethically-collected, patient-derived information. Scientists need substantial amounts of patient-derived data to conduct their studies. However, many patients are hesitant to participate and to continue participating because of logistical challenges of having to enroll during a scheduled visit with their physician. Research has shown that transparency and home visits improve willingness to participate, especially in populations of patients such as those diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Sanguine is deploying the @Home, web-based platform to make it simpler for patients to participate in the company's blood collection studies. Through the company's website, http://donate.sanguinebio.com/participate/, research candidates can submit a contact form, and a Patient Advocate from the company will call the candidate to address any questions, and to schedule an appointment for a blood donation at their home.

During the scheduled home visit, the research candidate can enroll in the study by reading and electronically signing the Informed Consent Form (form that legally allows the company to collect blood and medical data from patients), which can be conveniently read and signed using a wireless tablet carried by the Patient Advocate at all times.

The research participant's data is subsequently de-identified and stored in the company's HIPAA-compliant database. Sanguine's @Home Electronic Consent Form and enrollment process has been approved by the Quorom Review, an Institutional Review Board.  This independent ethics committee is formally designated to review, approve, and monitor biomedical research involving humans.   

"The centerpiece of our business is to provide a platform where patients can take an active role in research. We are confident that simplifying the process through our @Home collections and e-consents will dramatically increase patient recruitment.  This will allow us to provide researchers with important data more quickly and efficiently."—Carlyn Crisostomo, Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Operations.

Access to high-quality biosamples is critical to new drug and biomarker development. However, to be of high value for Personalized Medicine research and development, biosamples must be accompanied by critical donor demographic and medical information. As of today, the lack of well-annotated samples still remains one of the biggest bottlenecks in R&D. Through its @Home collection platform Sanguine addresses this issue by gathering most of the necessary information from donors in real-time.

"There is no time to waste when it comes to researching new treatments for debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. It's the company's responsibility educate patients about ways they can advance research for their disease.  Even a simple 4 tbsp blood collection can make a difference. Through our @Home collection and electronic consent process, we have made it simpler than ever to join the fight."—Sascha Hasan, PhD, MBA, Chief Scientific Officer.

About Sanguine
Sanguine BioSciences is a biotechnology company that engages patients in biomedical research by delivering transparency throughout the research process. The company collects and de-identifies patient-derived data in the form of biospecimen, and physician and self-reported information. The data generated is then made commercially available to researchers involved in in silico and in vitro research.

SOURCE Sanguine BioSciences, Inc.; INVENT Ventures Inc.