Median Technologies, UC San Diego to Partner on AI-Based Medical Imaging Technology

Median Technologies is organizing a study to prove the validity and efficacy of its iBiopsy platform.

The company is working with the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) on research that will be used in a study related to Median’s iBiopsy NASH Clinical Development Plan (CDP). 

“We are delighted with this agreement between Median and UC San Diego. The University of California San Diego is the world largest university and health care center for liver diseases and has gained world recognition for the quality of its research and publications”, said Fredrik Brag, founder and CEO of Median. “The development of a noninvasive biomarker to diagnose early NASH is critical for patients. There is currently no cure for advanced stage of the disease and diagnosing the disease early can save patients’ lives. This major collaboration will complement our first validation steps in 2020 and support our go to market strategy.”
 
It is estimated that NASH is affecting 1.5 percent to 6.45 percent of the global population.¹ There is currently no cure for advanced stage of the disease and diagnosing the disease early can save patients’ lives as NASH, in its early stage, is reversible through changes in eating habits and lifestyle. The clinical interest is therefore to distinguish accurately and non-invasively patients with early fibrosis from patients with advanced fibrosis at risk of progressing to cirrhosis and liver cancer. In this clinical context, the objective of Median’s retrospective study with UC San Diego is to quantify the ability of iBiopsy’s learning algorithms to discriminate between early and advanced fibrosis grade in NASH patients.
 
The study is led by Dr. Kathryn Fowler, M.D., diagnostic radiologist, professor of Radiology at UC San Diego, as principal investigator. It will be conducted retrospectively on a cohort of more than 300 patients. Median expects confirming the promising results on the NASH Clinical Development Plan, which were released in November 2020. First results of the Median-UC San Diego study are currently expected in the first quarter of 2022.
 
UC San Diego is known as a leading university and health care center in the United States with worldwide recognition for its work in the field of liver disease, with a strong focus on NALFD and NASH. UC San Diego has been recently ranked tops in the world for gastroenterology and hepatology (liver) research, based on physicians’ research reputation and publications, by U.S. News and World Report.²
 
Beyond the validation of Median’s iBiopsy technology and its performance to discriminate between early and advanced fibrosis grade in NASH patients, this strategic collaboration with UC San Diego will help advance clinical research intended to improve NASH patient diagnosis and monitoring.
 
“Magnetic Resonance Imaging is well positioned to provide biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring in patients with fatty liver disease,” said Fowler. “The development and validation of these biomarkers is a primary focus of the Liver Imaging Group at the University of California, San Diego.”
 
iBiopsy is based on the most advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, benefiting from Median’s expertise in data science and medical image processing. iBiopsy targets the development of non-invasive image-based diagnosis tests and solutions to be used in several indications for which there are unmet needs regarding early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment selection in the context of precision medicine. Several indications are already targeted for liver diseases (NASH and HCC) and for the use of immuno-oncology drugs.
 
Median’s iBiopsy development program is supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) through a financial loan of 35 million euros under the Juncker Plan, the European Fund for Strategic Investments, which aims to support research and innovation projects developed by companies with high growth potential.
 
Median Technologies provides imaging solutions and services to advance healthcare. It leverages the power of imaging phenomics to provide insights into novel therapies and treatment strategies. The company’s solutions for medical image analysis and management in oncology trials and iBiopsy for imaging phenotyping, together with a global team of experts, are advancing the development of new drugs and diagnostic tools to monitor disease and assess response to therapy. 
 
References 
¹ https://www.the-nash-education-program.com/what-is-nash/how-prevalent-is-nash/
² https://www.newsbreak.com/california/san-diego/lifestyle/2091578133256/us-news-world-report-uc-san-diego-1-for-gastroenterology-and-hepatology-research