Verily and Samsung team up to use Galaxy Watch data for clinical trials

Verily Life Sciences and Samsung just announced a partnership that could change how clinical trials work. The two companies are combining Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 with Verily's precision health platform to create an integrated solution for medical research.

The collaboration, announced at the HIMSS26 conference, aims to make it easier for drug companies and government agencies to collect real-world health data from study participants. Instead of relying on clinic visits and manual data collection, researchers can now tap into the continuous stream of health information that smartwatches provide.

How will it work?

Verily will integrate sensor data from Samsung Galaxy Watches directly into its Viewpoint Evidence solution. This platform runs on Verily's Pre system and lets research sponsors conduct real-world studies with participants they can contact again for follow-up research.

The setup includes several key components:

• Refinery for cleaning and organizing health data from different sources
• Workbench for analyzing the data and building models
• AI and machine learning tools to find patterns in the information
• Full clinical trial support including regulatory compliance

Samsung's Galaxy Watch brings verified health measurements to the table. The device can track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and body composition. It also has FDA clearance for detecting moderate to severe sleep apnea and irregular heart rhythms.

Why does it matter?

Traditional clinical trials face major challenges. Participants often drop out because visiting clinics is inconvenient. Data collection happens in short snapshots rather than continuously. And researchers miss what happens to patients in their daily lives.

Consumer wearables solve many of these problems. People already wear smartwatches every day, so participation becomes much easier. The devices collect health data 24/7, giving researchers a complete picture of how treatments work in real-world conditions.

"The use of consumer-friendly devices in clinical research makes it easier for participants to engage in studies, while enabling sponsors to use advanced biomarkers to generate high quality data," said Scott Burke, Verily's Chief Technology Officer.

For drug companies, this means:

• Better participant retention in studies
• More comprehensive health data
• Faster recruitment for trials
• Lower costs for data collection

The context

This partnership builds on Verily's track record in digital health research. The company has developed AI algorithms for tracking Parkinson's disease that set new standards for accuracy and reliability. Their work has been published in major scientific journals including NPJ Digital Medicine and Nature Portfolio's Science Reports.

Samsung brings consumer reach and regulatory credibility. The Galaxy Watch has FDA clearance for medical features, which gives researchers confidence in the data quality. Tyler Gipson from Samsung said the watch's "power lies not just in its consumer appeal, but in its ability to generate high-quality, verified data."

The two companies also plan to explore joint development of new research tools. This could lead to specialized features designed specifically for clinical trials, rather than just adapting consumer health apps.

Verily has experience across multiple disease areas including heart conditions, neurological disorders, and respiratory diseases. This broad expertise means the Samsung partnership could impact research in many different medical fields.