Optellum, a 2016 spinout from the University of Oxford, has been tapped by the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) to use its artificial-intelligence-powered lung cancer diagnostic as part of an effort by the agency to more accurately detect the disease earlier and reduce invasive procedures.
Dubbed the Virtual Nodule Clinic (VNC), the platform is paired with the company’s Lung Cancer Prediction AI and is the world’s first and only FDA-cleared and reimbursed software-as-a-medical-device solution for AI-powered lung cancer prioritization and diagnostic support, the company said in a Jan. 29 press release.
The pilot program, which the NHS considers a separate diagnostic evaluation and not a screening, is the first by the agency to combine the VNC platform with robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. The platform’s software leverages AI algorithms to find lesions in CT scans and estimate the likelihood any suspicious nodules are cancerous.
When a biopsy tissue sample is needed, the robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is capable of capturing hard-to-reach nodules as small as 6 millimeters.
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“Earlier and more accurate diagnosis is one of the most powerful ways to improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer,” Johnathan Watkins, Ph.D., Optellum’s chief executive, said in the release. “By combining Optellum’s AI with robotic-assisted bronchoscopy in one seamless pathway, we are giving clinicians the tools to identify and precisely target high‑risk nodules when treatment can make the greatest difference.”
The initiative kicks off at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust hospitals in London and is expected to expand to the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as well as the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
A little less than a year ago, the Oxford-based company inked an agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb to use AI in early diagnosis and precision lung cancer care. As part of that deal, Optellum’s platform will evaluate the real-world impact on patient outcomes.
It was in 2022 Optellum garnered its first series A financing round with a $14 million haul that was supported by the Intuitive fund.
