Boots will use data collected through its Advantage Card loyalty scheme to help companies research new treatments for a range of diseases, the Sunday Times has found.

According to the publication, the health and beauty giant is entering into agreements with a number of research organisations and health care companies that provide treatments for people, with the aim to testing the efficacy of drugs outside of laboratories.

Data collected by the Advantage Card programme provide information that could be relevant to help organisations develop new treatments, by identifying and recruiting individuals with specific symptoms and ask them to participate in clinical trials.

One such organisation is Cancer Research, which is seeking individuals who have been suffering from heartburn for a long time for a study focused on early detection of oesophageal cancer.

Because the symptom of heartburn is often associated with this type of cancer, Boots will help Cancer Research identify people who have been buying antacids for six months to ask for their consent to be part of the project.

Boots’ Advantage Card currently has 17 million active customers, who bring in about 50 per cent of the company’s total transactions.

Boots director of healthcare Jamie Kerruish said: “We believe a shift to a healthcare system focused on prevention of disease, not just treatment, is critically important for the NHS of the future and we are keen to play a role.”

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