Owkin, a biotechnology company specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) applications for drug discovery and diagnostics, has entered a collaboration agreement with MSD (Merck & Co Inc.) to develop and commercialise AI-powered digital pathology diagnostics for the EU market.
The focus of the collaboration is on developing AI-powered diagnostics for Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) in four types of cancer. The goal is to pre-screen patients for the MSI-H biomarker, which is indicative of PD1/PDL-1 inhibitor efficacy in cancer and found in various solid tumour types. This strategic alliance aims to enhance patient diagnosis and treatment by advancing innovative digital diagnostics, easing resource pressures, and increasing biomarker testing rates.
The collaboration specifically targets improving MSI-H testing rates for endometrial, gastric, small intestinal, and biliary cancers in the European Union, where prevalence is low, and routine screening is not performed. Owkin, having the only CE-marked MSI digital pathology diagnostic for colorectal cancer, will extend its development to cover the four new cancer types.
The collaboration leverages AI technologies to enhance patient screening and disease diagnosis, contributing to the identification of more patients with MSI-H cancers who may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.
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