What You Should Know: 

– AccessHope, a company revolutionizing how cancer patients receive cutting-edge treatment plans secures $33M in a Series B funding round led by City of Hope, a prominent cancer research and treatment organization.  

– The company plans to use the investment to fuel AccessHope’s next phase of growth as a standalone company.

New CEO Bradley Kreick Takes the Helm

To spearhead this growth trajectory, AccessHope has appointed seasoned healthcare veteran Bradley Kreick as its new CEO.  Kreick boasts 30 years of experience leading companies through periods of significant growth, ideally positioned to guide AccessHope’s commercial expansion.  Mark Stadler, AccessHope’s former CEO, will transition to the role of Chief Growth Officer, focusing on expanding cancer care benefits within health plans, Medicare, and government programs.

Cancer Collaboration Network

AccessHope’s success hinges on its unique collaboration with some of the nation’s leading National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, including City of Hope, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Johns Hopkins Medicine.  Through these partnerships, AccessHope grants its members access to a network of over 350 top oncologists, encompassing all cancer types and stages.

Delivering Expertise Where Patients Need It Most

AccessHope’s innovative approach empowers local oncologists by providing them with access to the latest cancer treatment insights from leading cancer centers. This collaboration ensures patients benefit from cutting-edge knowledge without leaving their local healthcare providers.  AccessHope currently offers its services to over seven million members through partnerships with more than 400 employers, including over 60 Fortune 500 companies.

“AccessHope was founded with the mission of bringing cutting-edge cancer care knowledge to the places and people who need it most. Today, we are proud to serve nearly seven million members through more than 400 employers, including over 60 Fortune 500 companies and two of the nation’s largest health plans,” said Harlan Levine, M.D., chair of the AccessHope board and president, Health Innovation and Policy at City of Hope. “As demand for personalized cancer care benefits offered by AccessHope continues to grow, it is an ideal time for City of Hope to provide strategic funding and the autonomy for it to operate as a stand-alone company. This move will enable AccessHope to accelerate innovation and expand into new markets and regions, while continuing to extend access to the best cancer treatment expertise regardless of who you are and where you live.”

What You Should Know: 

– Just weeks after acquiring MIM Software, a leader in medical imaging analysis and AI solutions, GE HealthCare strengthens its commitment to improving cancer care through a deeper collaboration with Elekta, a leader in precision radiation oncology. 

– The strategic partnership aims to revolutionize radiation therapy workflows and ultimately benefit both patients and healthcare providers.

Addressing Challenges in Radiation Therapy

Nearly two-thirds of all cancer patients undergo radiation therapy, but current processes can be time-consuming due to a lack of interoperability and automation. This can significantly impact patient outcomes. The collaboration specifically addresses these challenges by leveraging AI-powered software and advanced imaging capabilities.

The collaboration will focus on developing innovative software solutions designed to:

• Improve Workflow Efficiency: Streamline workflows within radiation therapy treatment planning, enhancing efficiency for clinicians.
• Increase Throughput: Reduce the time it takes for patients to receive radiation treatment, minimizing delays.
• Enhance User Experience: Make the treatment planning process more user-friendly for clinicians.

GE HealthCare’s MIM Software and Elekta’s treatment planning software will be combined to create a powerful solution for oncology treatment planning.  This collaboration builds upon both companies’ existing strengths in regional markets, ensuring the solutions can be adopted globally.

“Our decision to join GE HealthCare was driven by a ‘shared vision of maximizing impact’ and our motivation for this collaboration with Elekta is no different,” explains Andy Nelson, CEO of MIM Software, GE HealthCare. “For decades, we have engaged directly with clinicians to understand their needs and bridge the divide by building solutions that streamline their clinical workflows and reduce treatment delays for patients. With the evolution of treatment planning software, we stand to make an impact on clinicians and patients worldwide. Now, we are excited to extend the reach of these efforts by boosting Elekta’s offerings with our vendor-agnostic solutions.”

What You Should Know: 

– VieCure, a leading cancer care company, announced today that it’s integrating DrFirst’s e-prescribing and medication management solutions into its clinical decision support system. 

– VieCure is a well-established point-of-care intelligence system specifically designed for community oncologists. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), patient data, and a comprehensive oncology knowledge base, VieCure generates personalized treatment plans for cancer patients, including medication recommendations.

Expanding Functionality with DrFirst

VieCure is taking its partnership with DrFirst, a health technology pioneer, a step further. They are adding DrFirst’s flagship electronic prescribing platform, Rcopia, to their existing use of EPCS Gold, a controlled substance prescribing solution.

Benefits of Rcopia Integration:

• Improved Workflow Efficiency: Rcopia offers a streamlined workflow for all e-prescribing needs, reducing administrative burden for physicians and clinical staff.
• Enhanced Patient Care: Rcopia provides access to the nation’s most complete medication history data feed, along with allergy and clinical alerts. This allows for better-informed prescribing decisions.
• Price Transparency: Rcopia integrates price transparency tools, enabling informed discussions about medication costs between patients and providers.
• Promoting Medication Adherence: Tools within Rcopia encourage patients to adhere to their medication regimens, leading to potentially better treatment outcomes.
• Comprehensive Pain Management View: Direct access to state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) gives prescribers a complete picture of a patient’s pain management medications.

“VieCure’s integration of DrFirst’s Rcopia underscores our dedication to enhancing patient safety, optimizing clinical workflows, and satisfying customers,” said Fred Ashbury, PhD, MACE, VieCure co-founder and chief scientific officer. “We look forward to providing our clients with Rcopia’s advanced features for medication history, medication adherence monitoring, electronic prior authorizations, and real-time prescription benefit checks.”

What You Should Know:

– The American Cancer Society (ACS) and Color Health announced today a significant expansion of their existing program, creating a first-of-its-kind comprehensive cancer solution for employers and labor unions. This enhanced program goes beyond screening and prevention to support employees and members throughout all stages of the cancer journey.

– The expanded program builds upon the existing collaboration between ACS and Color Health, which has already provided accessible cancer prevention and screening solutions to over 150 million Americans. Through this partnership, a portion of Color Health’s proceeds supports the ACS mission.

Addressing the Full Spectrum of Cancer Care

Previously focused on convenient and accessible screening solutions, the program now offers a holistic approach that includes:

• Color Medical Clinical Teams: These dedicated teams manage abnormal screenings, confirmed diagnoses, and provide specialized care for high-risk individuals.
• Holistic Support for Employees: The program offers comprehensive support services for employees undergoing treatment, including mental health resources.
• Integrated Care for Survivors: Support continues beyond treatment with dedicated resources for survivors, including physical and mental health support, and assistance managing ongoing care costs.

Pilot Study Demonstrates Program Effectiveness

Color Health shared early results from a pilot study showing promising outcomes:

• Increased Screening Awareness: 84% of participants significantly improved their understanding of cancer screening recommendations.
• Boosted Screening Rates: Rates of guideline-based screening adherence doubled or tripled within just eight weeks.
• High Patient Satisfaction: Nearly 90% of participants reported excellent or very good experiences with Color’s clinical team.
• Strong Interest in Support Services: The vast majority (90%) expressed interest in emotional and social support following a cancer diagnosis.

Key Features of the Expanded Program

• Virtual Cancer Clinic: This innovative clinic offers a dedicated care team with practicing physicians, oncologists, genetic counselors, and high-risk coordinators.
• Integrated Diagnostics and Imaging: The program facilitates swift, high-quality care through an in-house network and access to at-home screening tests.
• Robust Patient Support: Color Cancer Connect provides peer support programs and mental health services. Care Advocates assist with appointment scheduling, financial considerations, and other logistical needs.

Supporting Every Step of the Cancer Journey

The comprehensive program addresses five crucial aspects of workforce cancer care:

1. Education & Awareness: Tailored educational resources help employees understand cancer risks and screening recommendations.
2. Evidence-Based Screening: Risk assessments guide employees on appropriate screening based on ACS guidelines.
3. Diagnosis Management: Color’s experienced clinicians support employees through a potential diagnosis, ensuring efficient navigation and timely access to care.
4. Cancer Treatment Support: All program participants have access to treatment support services through integrations with Centers of Excellence at no additional cost.
5. Survivorship: Comprehensive care continues for employees in remission, addressing both physical and mental health needs, and assisting with managing ongoing care costs.

“Over the past year, we have heard from employers and funds across the U.S. who are asking for a single program and model that focuses equally on early detection as it does on cancer treatment support. We know that moving the needle on detection is the only thing that will cause a state change in cancer outcomes and costs,” said Othman Laraki, CEO of Color. “We’re recognizing the need for a comprehensive clinic approach, which really takes on clinical care and support while also lowering access barriers and thinking holistically about cancer — which is not just a medical issue, but something that is far more complex.”

What You Should Know:

– The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center and Flatiron Health, a leading oncology-focused healthtech company, today announced a collaboration to bring Flatiron Assist™ to MUSC’s oncology care clinicians.

– The strategic collaboration equips clinicians at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center with Flatiron Assist, a unique clinical decision support platform designed specifically for oncology.  Flatiron Assist prioritizes the latest evidence-based medicine, promotes adherence to site-preferred treatment pathways, and streamlines access to relevant clinical trials – all readily available at the point of care.

Integration with Existing Systems for Seamless Workflow

Through Flatiron’s integration with MUSC’s existing Epic electronic health record system, Flatiron Assist seamlessly integrates into existing workflows. Clinicians can leverage the platform to:

• Identify and promote site-preferred treatment pathways – These pathways represent the center’s most effective treatment approaches for various cancers.
• Gain real-time access to open clinical trials – Patients can be efficiently matched to potentially life-saving research opportunities.
• Ensure adherence to NCCN Guidelines – Flatiron Assist integrates seamlessly with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), promoting standardized and high-quality care.

“Partnering with the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center, a market-leading cancer care provider, is an incredible opportunity to accelerate our shared vision for the delivery of more standardized, efficient, and effective cancer care.” said James Hamrick, MD, Vice President of Clinical Oncology at Flatiron Health. “Flatiron Assist, tailor made for oncology, offers a clinical decision support platform that places emphasis on the latest evidence based medicine, aiming to reduce care variation while increasing access to clinical trials and novel therapies, ensuring patients at MUSC and beyond receive the highest quality of care.”

What You Should Know:

– Thyme Care, a leader in value-based cancer care, has launched Thyme Care Oncology Partners (TCOP), a dedicated platform designed to support oncology practices in the transition to value-based care models.

– Through partnerships with payers and providers, Thyme Care’s TCOP platform fosters collaboration and prioritizes patient-centric care while reducing costs. This innovative approach positions Thyme Care as a leader in shaping the future of value-based cancer care.

Over 400 Oncologists Join Forces for Better Cancer Care

With over 400 oncologists across 25 states already participating, TCOP fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing within a growing network of oncology practices. Thyme Care partners with TCOP practices to design and implement value-based care programs that benefit patients covered by participating health plans and government programs.

Addressing Rising Cancer Care Costs

The increasing cost of cancer care, marked by expensive treatments, delays, and unnecessary hospitalizations, necessitates a new approach. Patient navigation and value-based interventions are critical to reduce these costs. Recent initiatives, such as the CMS’ Enhancing Oncology Model and the move to reimburse patient navigation services in 2024, reflect this shift.

Overcoming Challenges of Patient Navigation Programs

Thyme Care’s comprehensive services empower oncologists to prioritize high-quality, patient-centric care. The platform eliminates administrative and financial burdens often associated with value-based care initiatives. While patient navigation programs hold promise, traditional approaches have proven expensive and burdensome for practices to implement, scale, and accurately measure. Thyme Care addresses this challenge by offering patient-centered care resources directly within participating oncology practices. These resources include:

• 24/7 Virtual Oncology Care Team: Provides wraparound services such as care coordination, symptom management, access to social and economic resources, and the collection of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs).
• Robust Data & Analytics Engine: Enables practices to understand their patient populations, identify opportunities to improve value, and prioritize patient needs. This also includes reporting capabilities for accurate, individual practice-level results.
• Novel Payment Models: Unlocks value-based treatment decisions without compromising practice finances.

Thyme Care: A Seamless Extension of the Oncology Practice

By functioning as an extension of the practice, Thyme Care alleviates administrative burdens, enhances efficiency, and empowers success in value-based care arrangements. The company’s ability to expand partnerships with payers and providers across commercial and Medicare Advantage segments allows for the rapid growth of the TCOP network.

“Traditional healthcare views value-based care as everyone’s job but no one’s responsibility – great in theory, but too daunting for one party to take accountability for. We’re bringing together all of the stakeholders in such a way that it makes sense for everyone to be a part of,” said Bobby Green, MD, co-founder, chief medical officer, and president of Thyme Care. “Too often in the past this has been attempted without collaborating with the people actually taking care of cancer patients, the oncologists. Together with our partners, we’re helping to drive this shift to value-based cancer care.” 

What You Should Know:

– Project Ronin, a software startup focused on applying AI to improve cancer care, announced its closure, Bloomberg first reports.

– The company, co-founded by Oracle co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison, cited financial difficulties as the primary reason for the shutdown.

Project Ronin Background

Founded in 2018, Ronin aimed to develop solutions that could rapidly analyze and interpret data within electronic health records systems used by hospitals.  Despite early promises, including a reported 30% reduction in hospital admissions and readmissions at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Project Ronin struggled to secure paying customers necessary to sustain its operations. The closure of Project Ronin will unfortunately result in a permanent layoff for its approximately 150 employees.

Project Ronin’s shuttering signifies the challenging landscape for healthcare startups, particularly those navigating the complex process of integrating new technologies into established healthcare systems and achieving financial sustainability. While the company’s closure marks the end of its journey, the broader healthcare industry continues to explore the potential of AI and data analytics to improve patient care and optimize clinical practices.

What You Should Know:

• Belong.Life, a leading global provider of AI-powered patient education and support solutions, has unveiled the BelongAI Dave – Cancer Mentor app to bring the most advanced and comprehensive cancer support technology to patients and caregivers around the world.
• The new solution marks a significant step forward in personalized cancer support, by providing patients with a proactive and comprehensive conversational-AI solution for managing their journey 24/7.

Introducing DavePro: Revolutionizing Cancer Support with AI-Powered Mentorship

As a devoted mentor committed to empowering patients and caregivers, the BelongAI Dave – Cancer Mentor delivers continuous guidance, support, and education tailored to individual needs. This includes personalized information, assistance in locating pertinent clinical trials, and tools to facilitate communication with healthcare providers. The app’s proactive mentorship, compassionate support, and distinctive case management approach ensure that users receive timely assistance.

This new solution follows the successful launch of Dave in 2023, the world’s inaugural AI oncology mentor, within Belong’s Beating Cancer Together app. Dave currently assists hundreds of thousands of cancer patients within the app, boasting remarkably high levels of engagement. The considerable patient demand for exclusive AI support, coupled with the significant praise Dave has garnered from both patients and physicians, has led to the introduction of this standalone app.

DavePro features include:

– Scheduled proactive check-ins regarding previously discussed concerns and upcoming treatments.

– Precise, comprehensive, and empathetic responses to specific cancer-related inquiries and difficulties.

– Analysis of documents and clarification of clinical jargon in easily understandable terms.

– Access to a personalized, continually updated repository of information covering treatment options, side effects, and emotional well-being.

– Management of medications, appointment notifications, and reminders.

DavePro Plus extends these features by incorporating Tara, Belong’s AI-powered assistant, which matches patients with relevant clinical trials based on their unique medical circumstances and location. Through ongoing searches, Tara identifies newly available treatments and clinical trials, providing patients with easy-to-read monthly summaries to stay informed about relevant treatment opportunities.

Dave Community enables patients to engage with Dave in a public forum, allowing users to glean insights from other patients’ challenges and interactions with Dave. 

DavePro and DavePro Plus are available as monthly or annual subscriptions, while Dave Community offers free access and support.

Eliran Malki, Co-founder and CEO of Belong.Life, expressed the company’s commitment to democratizing access to high-quality cancer support, stating, “Our vision is to provide every patient with the highest level of care. Proximity to the hospital or bank account size shouldn’t determine priority for answering patients’ questions or attending to patient’s needs. The BelongAI Dave – Cancer Mentor app will allow us to make personalized cancer support accessible and affordable to all, for the fraction of the cost of traditional mentorship services, at the price of a few cups of coffee.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is set to transform the field of diagnostics, similar to how X-rays and genetic tests revolutionized healthcare in the past. Reshaping routine diagnostic procedures and treatment decisions and propelling pharmaceutical and research domains into new realms, AI offers significant benefits to clinicians, healthcare systems, researchers, and, most importantly, patients. This is particularly evident in cancer diagnosis and treatment across six key areas:

1. Revolutionizing the Pathologist’s Toolbox: AI is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for pathologists, exerting a direct and positive influence on cancer outcomes. Studies demonstrate pathologists who integrated AI into their workflow showed improved accuracy, near-zero misdiagnosis rates, detection of very small foci of cancer, lower turnaround times and overall higher efficiency during the diagnostic process. While AI cannot replace the expertise of pathologists, clinicians who embrace AI tools will soon have a key advantage over those who persist in relying solely on manual methods. Relevant malignant areas in biopsies are rapidly and accurately identified by AI, offering key clinical findings to pathologists and supporting them with objective cancer grading. In addition, routine and repetitive tasks – such as cell counting, evaluating biomarker expression and measuring features within a biopsy – are easily handled by AI, allowing physicians to focus on more intricate cases while reducing human error. Its role in expediting urgent case review, through triage or lab automation, alleviates patient stress and clears a faster path to treatment initiation. This shift is poised to have a lasting impact on healthcare practices, echoing AI’s influence in other professional domains.

2. Elevating Healthcare Through Trust: The incorporation of AI into the diagnostic lab goes beyond merely improving accuracy; it fosters trust among oncologists and patients, a crucial factor in a field historically reliant on manual and subjective estimates. Advanced AI algorithms leverage extensive datasets analyzed by domain specialists and trained using advanced machine learning techniques, to become the clinician’s trusted digital assistant. These tools can be used for primary or secondary diagnostic support to review cases before pathologist review or to flag potential misdiagnosis following report submission. In turn, despite the rise in cancer cases around the world and overwhelming workloads, pathologists can keep up with growing demand and yet remain confident that they provide high-quality diagnoses on time.

3. AI for All: Diagnostic Equity: Expert pathologists are typically concentrated in large academic centers, cancer-focused centers, and university hospitals, creating health disparities for those patients who are diagnosed in community hospitals or high-volume reference labs relying on generalist pathologists who sometimes lack the expertise or experience needed to diagnose a complex biopsy. The capabilities of accurate, objective and automated AI-powered solutions bridge this gap, allowing patients to receive expert-grade and reliable diagnoses comparable to those provided by top domain specialists, regardless of location. With accurate diagnosis the cornerstone of modern healthcare, this marks a significant stride towards eliminating healthcare disparities and promoting trusted, equitable access to high-quality cancer care.

4. A Major Step Forward for Oncology Through Precision Medicine: AI is set to achieve remarkable progress in personalized precision medicine. Advanced AI models, coupled with expansive databases that encompass longitudinal clinical data meshed with pathology, imaging, and genetics tests, empower oncologists to more accurately estimate prognosis and identify optimal treatments tailored to individual patients. AI’s capacity to stratify patients into refined sub-categories drives precision medicine, moving away from broad disease classifications. This intersection of AI and medicine marks a significant leap toward personalized healthcare, promising more targeted and effective treatments for patients worldwide.

5. The Unleashing of Targeted Drug Development: The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a paradigm shift with AI propelling advancements in research and development of novel drugs. A growing number of pharma companies are poised to seamlessly integrate AI into their drug discovery processes and clinical trials. This strategic move holds the potential to streamline the analysis of extensive data lakes, ensuring cost-effective methods for identifying novel and more precise signals, undetectable via traditional drug development methods. At the same time, ongoing efforts to develop predictive AI tools that focus on identifying eligible patients who can benefit from specific drugs and providing clinicians with personalized treatment recommendations, underscore the industry’s embrace of cutting-edge technology for enhanced efficiency and precision in pharmaceutical research.

6. Beyond Code: Safeguarding Healthcare with Rigorous Validation of AI Technologies: As with any emerging technology in healthcare, AI undergoes meticulous testing and validation before integration into clinical practice. Regulatory bodies, hospitals, and laboratories play pivotal roles in ensuring the safety and health benefits of AI, validating efficacy across diverse datasets that represent varied patient populations and disease types. Moreover, as diagnostic labs across the world vary in how they process and test specimens, for AI to be considered reliable, it must be validated at multiple sites using different systems, to ensure that its performance is reproducible across different lab settings. Continuous post-market surveillance, alongside publications in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific conferences, contributes significantly to the ongoing validation and monitoring of AI performance. This thorough process ensures AI technologies meet stringent standards, providing healthcare professionals and patients with reliable and effective tools for improved medical outcomes.

Embracing the transformative potential of AI, the healthcare landscape is primed to elevate precision, efficiency, and patient-centered care in 2024. The positive impact of trusted AI technologies on healthcare will generate a ripple effect, influencing practices, treatments, and outcomes for the benefit of all. 

About Chaim Linhar

Chaim Linhart, Chaim is Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Ibex Medical Analytics, the leader in AI-powered cancer diagnostics.

What You Should Know:

– ConcertAI, a developer of AI-powered healthcare solutions, announced today the acquisition of CancerLinQ, a subsidiary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

– This strategic move will significantly enhance and expand CancerLinQ’s capabilities, unlocking the potential of real-world data and next-generation AI to revolutionize cancer care and accelerate clinical research.

CancerLinQ Background

CancerLinQ represents one of the largest oncology real-world data and quality of care technology services entities in the world. With access to data from nearly seven million patients across a network of over 100 cancer centers and oncology practices, CancerLinQ empowers healthcare professionals with data-driven insights to improve care delivery and research outcomes.

CancerLinQ Acquisition Benefits

Building on CancerLinQ’s existing strengths, the acquisition will:

– Expand CancerLinQ’s real-world data platform: ConcertAI will invest more than $250 million over the next few years to integrate additional data sources into the platform, providing a broader and deeper understanding of cancer patients and their care.

– Develop innovative clinical trial solutions: By leveraging ConcertAI’s Digital Access to Clinical Trial (DACT) platform, CancerLinQ will facilitate patient participation in clinical trials, making it more accessible and less burdensome.

– Enhance clinical decision support tools: The combined expertise of ConcertAI and ASCO will lead to the development of more robust clinical decision support tools within the SmartLinQ™ platform, empowering physicians to make informed treatment decisions.

– Streamline data integration: Automated EMR integration will be implemented, seamlessly incorporating SmartLinQ into existing practice workflows.

This collaboration is expected to deliver significant benefits for various stakeholders:

– Oncology practices: Enhanced SmartLinQ™ platform, improved access to clinical trials, and streamlined data integration.

– Patients: Better access to treatment options, improved care quality, and more personalized treatment plans.

– Researchers: Faster development of new drugs and therapies through access to a vast and diverse pool of real-world data.

“We believe this agreement will provide the resources to fulfill and amplify CancerLinQ’s impact,” said Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, Chief Executive Officer of ASCO. “We expect CancerLinQ to be an important avenue for practices to achieve certification under ASCO’s recently launched ASCO Certified program.”

What You Should Know:

– Syapse®, a leading real-world evidence (RWE) company dedicated to extinguishing the fear and burden of serious diseases, and the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) today announced the renewal of their four-year collaboration agreement.

– This expanded strategic partnership aims to collaboratively develop and implement research projects that advance the use of real-world data (RWD) and explore the potential of RWE to inform regulatory decisions in oncology.

Harnessing the Power of Real-World Data

This strategic partnership aims to address the evolving landscape of oncology care by leveraging the vast potential of RWD and RWE. The collaboration will focus on evaluating RWD study designs and analytic methods, developing clinically meaningful research questions regarding cancer patient care, treatment, and outcomes, and facilitating the use of novel oncology data sources.

Key objectives of the renewed partnership include:

Exploring RWD Study Designs and Analytic Methods: The partners will investigate and evaluate various RWD study designs and analytic methods to ensure the validity and reliability of RWE generated from RWD sources.

Developing Clinically Meaningful Research Questions: Syapse and the OCE will collaborate to identify and prioritize clinically relevant research questions that can be addressed using RWD and RWE, with a focus on improving patient care and outcomes.

Analyzing Syapse Learning Health Network (LHN) Data: The LHN, a vast repository of real-world oncology data, will serve as a valuable source for conducting observational studies and generating RWE.

Evaluating Novel Oncology Data Sources: The collaboration will explore the potential of emerging oncology data sources, such as electronic health records and genomic data, to further enhance RWE generation.

Building Upon Early Success

The renewed partnership builds upon the successful collaboration between Syapse and the OCE, which has yielded valuable insights into safety and health disparities in oncology care. The partners have previously conducted studies on immune-checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis in lung cancer and the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients.

What You Should Know:

– Absci Corporation (ABSI), a pioneer in using generative AI to discover antibodies, and AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical leader, announced a collaboration today to develop an AI-designed antibody for cancer.

– This partnership combines Absci’s cutting-edge Integrated Drug Creation™ platform with AstraZeneca’s oncology expertise, aiming to accelerate the discovery of a potential new cancer treatment.

Absci’s AI Engine Takes the Lead

Absci will leverage its innovative AI technology to design a therapeutic antibody against a specific oncology target. AstraZeneca’s upfront commitment, research and development funding, milestone payments, and future royalties on product sales demonstrate their confidence in Absci’s approach.

Revolutionizing Drug Discovery with AI and Wet-Lab Integration

Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform is a powerful combination of generative AI and cutting-edge wet-lab technologies. It generates proprietary data by analyzing millions of protein-protein interactions, which then trains its AI models. These models are further refined by validating AI-designed antibodies in the real world, creating a continuous feedback loop.

This unique platform accelerates drug discovery by completing the entire cycle of data collection, AI-driven design, and wet-lab validation within an estimated six weeks. It aims to increase the success rate of developing new biologic drugs by optimizing multiple drug features simultaneously and tackling previously “undruggable” targets like GPCRs and ion channels.

The combined expertise of Absci and AstraZeneca offers a promising outlook for developing innovative cancer treatments. By harnessing the power of AI, this collaboration has the potential to significantly accelerate drug discovery and bring new hope to cancer patients worldwide.

What You Should Know:

– Georgiamune, a privately held, clinical stage biotechnology company, and Verily, an Alphabet precision health technology company forms a strategic partnership to advance novel therapeutics for patients with cancer.

– Through this partnership, Verily and Georgimune will focus on identifying the patient population that could potentially benefit the most from Georgiamune’s GIM-122, a first-in-class dual-functioning antibody that has the potential to help patients with advanced solid tumors who have not responded to current treatments with a checkpoint inhibitor.

Integrating Clinical Trial Data and Longitudinal Real-World Data Sources

The two companies will also focus on driving more efficient clinical development by incorporating clinical trial data and longitudinal real-world data sources. The collaboration innovates how clinical trials are currently conducted by bringing together different data modalities to identify the patient populations most likely to benefit from Georgiamune’s novel therapy and by providing a more holistic analysis of how participants are responding to the therapy over time.

The partners will implement immune mapping with Verily’s Immune Profiler for GIM-122, a first-in-class dual-functioning antibody currently being evaluated for safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity in a first-in-human, phase 1/2 clinical trial in adults with checkpoint refractory or resistant advanced solid tumor malignancies. Georgiamune will utilize Immune Profiler to assess the pharmacodynamic effect of GIM-122 and interrogate the immune response of patients. As part of the partnership, the two companies will also aim to expand into other assets developed by Georgiamune in cancer and other therapeutic areas, including autoimmune diseases. 

“Georgiamune is a cutting edge innovation company with groundbreaking scientific discoveries leading to first and best in class immune therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases,” said Georgiamune’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Samir N. Khleif. “Verily’s expertise in immune profiling, real-world data, and advanced analytics provide a comprehensive data profile to accelerate development of our novel drug candidate. This partnership will allow us to focus on identifying the patient population that could potentially benefit the most from our breakthrough discoveries.”

What You Should Know:

• Flatiron Health today announced a new agreement to bring Flatiron Assist™ advanced cancer care insights to oncology care clinicians at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC).
• The collaboration between Flatiron Health and Penn Medicine will focus on further enabling clinicians at ACC to determine and promote site-preferred pathways and open clinical trials at the point of care alongside the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®). Access to evidence-based treatment recommendations will promote high levels of guideline-concordant care, while improving health equity and patient experiences and reducing unnecessary spending. The two organizations will also work together to optimize the usability and functionality of Flatiron Assist™.

Improving Access to Evidence-Based Treatment Recommendations

Flatiron Assist™ is an oncology-specific clinical decision support platform that prioritizes the latest evidence-based medicine, site-preferred pathways and clinical research at the point of care. The EHR-integrated platform incorporates NCCN Guidelines for the 26 most common cancers as well as site-preferred treatment pathways and relevant clinical trial opportunities for patients at the point of care.

Flatiron Assist™’s high provider adoption has driven positive outcomes for cancer centers, yielding results such as an 88% concordance with NCCN guidelines¹ and a 44% reduction in unique regimens ordered across cancer centers.²

“At Flatiron, we are committed to elevating clinical care and unlocking the power of patient data, so every person’s experience can inform and improve outcomes for future patients. Partnering with Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, a market-leading cancer care provider and a pioneer of digital innovation in healthcare, enables us to use data for good and reimagine the infrastructure of cancer care,” said Julia Morton SVP and GM of Flatiron HC. “We are looking forward to working together to accelerate the delivery of more standardized, efficient, and effective cancer care across the entire health system.”

The project will also aim to leverage Flatiron Assist™ technology to increase awareness of clinical trial opportunities and drive user adoption and satisfaction. On average, Flatiron Assist™ users typically see 80% clinician adoption.⁴ The two organizations will track usage patterns and tie the results to financial impacts for the health system.