Owkin, the first end-to-end AI-biotech that uses cutting-edge causal AI to unlock precision drug discovery, development and diagnostics, and AstraZeneca, have teamed up to develop an AI-powered tool to pre-screen for gBRCA mutations (gBRCAm) in breast cancer directly from digitised pathology slides.
As part of Owkin’s ongoing collaboration with Gustave Roussy and The Centre Léon Bérard through PortrAIt, a French consortium to accelerate precision medicine through AI-enabled digital pathology, this tool aims to significantly accelerate and expand access to gBRCA testing that too many patients may not be considered for, Owkin said in a press release.
Dr. Thomas Clozel, MD, CEO of Owkin, said: “We are excited to collaborate with AstraZeneca to bring the benefits of AI to BRCA testing with the gBRCA Pre-Screen solution. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s especially important to highlight how by streamlining the diagnostic process for determining BRCA mutation status, we can expand access to BRCA testing and identify more gBRCAm patients more rapidly. Our goal is to generate the best possible medical evidence through multiple clinical studies, making genetic testing more accessible and precise, and therefore reduce the inequity of care by allowing more patients to benefit from tailored care.”
Kristina Rodnikova, Head of Global Commercial Diagnostics, Oncology at AstraZeneca, said: “On average, a woman with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation has up to a 7 in 10 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer by age 80. This collaboration with Owkin underscores our commitment to advancing precision medicine, helping address the unmet need and identifying patients at risk of harbouring BRCA mutations to improve their outcomes.”