Aiforia Technologies Plc, Press release, January 2, 2024 at 10.00 a.m. EET
Aiforia has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the Mayo Clinic in the United States to globally commercialize an AI model that improves prediction of colorectal cancer recurrence. The AI model was developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. The AI model identifies important histological features of colorectal cancer and provides a recurrence prediction estimate useful for colorectal cancer treatment decisions.
“This is the first example of an AI model developed with the Aiforia platform, which is used to assess the risk of cancer recurrence. It is also the first clinically relevant AI model developed with a customer and commercialized by Aiforia. The licensing agreement with the Mayo Clinic enables us to market and sell this AI model for colorectal cancer recurrence risk evaluation globally, says Jukka Tapaninen, the CEO of Aiforia. “This is an example of many similar AI model co-development projects, which are ongoing with the Mayo Clinic and other partners. These will enable us to significantly enrich our product portfolio.”
The co-developed prognostic AI model identifies 15 different tissue characteristics in colorectal cancer patient samples, and combined with two other clinical parameters, it produces a colorectal cancer recurrence risk score. For example, an AI model can identify patients who may not need chemotherapy because the probability of cancer recurrence is low. It may also help to identify those patients who are at high risk of relapse and may benefit from more intensive treatment or follow-up. The implementation of an artificial intelligence model may save significant sums in treatment costs, when expensive chemotherapy drugs are targeted more efficiently than at present. The most important benefit from the patient's point of view is the reduction of chemotherapy without worsening the treatment results. In practice, this can mean significant reduction of harmful side effects. The functionality of the AI model has been proven retrospectively in several independent patient sample cohorts1,2.
The Aiforia collaboration with the Mayo Clinical began with the implementation of the Aiforia AI-assisted image analysis software in pathology research already in 2020. In the translational research today, more than 70 Mayo Clinic pathologists use the Aiforia Create tool for creating AI models for their research studies, which aim to utilize the models in clinical work later. There are more than 30 ongoing research projects utilizing the Aiforia technology at the Mayo Clinic. An important milestone in the collaboration was reached in spring 2023, when the Mayo Clinic began diagnosing clinical patient samples with Aiforia's software.
References
- Quantitative Pathologic Analysis of Digitized Images of Colorectal Carcinoma Improves Prediction of Recurrence-Free Survival
Pai, R K. et al.
Gastroenterology, Volume 163, Issue 6, 1531–1546.e8 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2022.08.025
- Development and initial validation of a deep learning algorithm to quantify histological features in colorectal carcinoma including tumour budding/poorly differentiated clusters
Pai R K et al
Histopathology 79, Issue 3, 391–405 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1111/his.14353
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About Aiforia
Aiforia is a trusted provider of deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for pathology. Aiforia delivers software solutions that elevate diagnostic capabilities in image analysis, enabling remarkable medical discoveries now and in the future. With thousands of AI models already developed on the Aiforia platform for research use and several diagnostic solutions deployed, Aiforia is already significantly impacting pathology and healthcare.
Founded in 2013, Aiforia is a publicly traded company operating internationally with thousands of platform users across the globe. The company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Rochester, Minnesota, and local representatives across Europe and North America. The diverse team at Aiforia includes experienced pathologists, medical scientists, AI and software developers, and a dedicated commercial team. Together, they are working to transform pathology with AI, enabling better care for each patient.
Find out more: www.aiforia.com
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