Image Analysis Group today announced a partnership in the field of ulcerative colitis (UC) histopathological image analysis with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

The objective of the collaboration is to develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool that will potentially allow gastroenterologists to effectively incorporate histology (the study of the microscopic structure of tissues) in their real-life assessment of people suffering from UC.

In this collaboration, the parties will utilize an AI-driven approach to augment clinical decision making when assessing disease activity and the efficacy of treatments in UC. The parties will focus on the validation of the use of deep learning models and the use of IAG’s methodologies and platform DYNAMIKA in automating the assessment of UC histopathological images.

With support from the world’s leading clinical research opinion leaders and experienced pathologists, IAG will develop a seamless workflow to process and analyze the imaging data and provide expertise in using deep learning and AI and apply these models to the imaging data analysis.

Collaboration statements

Prof. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology and Inserm U954, University Hospital of Nancy, the scientific lead on this project, said “The success of patient treatment with novel therapeutic agents highly depends on the efficient use of modern technologies and data-centric development approaches. In such a critical area as IBD, our patients will no doubt will benefit from the use of Artificial Intelligence to augment clinical decisions.“

“With results from recent clinical trials and emerging concepts of response to treatment such as disease clearence, there is a growing need to look at the disease through a different lens and ideally in a combined and holistic way. In real life, there are barriers in terms of access to trained IBD Pathologists. With its focus on automated quantitative imaging-driven analytics, this collaboration is a step towards putting assessment tools in the hands of practicing gastroenterologists, which will ultimately benefit patients“, added Dr. Andrea Stancati M.D., Vice President, Global Medical Franchise Head, Gastroenterology at Takeda

“We believe in demystifying AI and making it truly useful in the clinical decision making and clinical research”, said Dr. Olga Kubassova, CEO if IAG, “IAG is uniquely positioned to provide tools which could be a game-changer, particularly for the development and use of advanced therapies in complex areas such as IBD, ultimately supporting the goal of getting the right treatment to the right patients at the right time.”

 

Image Analysis Group (IAG)

IAG, a pioneering imaging Clinical Research Organization (iCRO), seamlessly blends medical acumen, operational excellence, and cutting-edge AI to accelerate drug development. Since 2007, we’ve been the trusted partner for global biotech and pharma, expertly managing imaging across Phase I-III trials and real-world evidence studies in diverse therapeutic areas.

Our award-winning DYNAMIKA platform ensures unparalleled data integrity, while our innovative approach consistently unlocks and amplifies the value of novel therapies.

Partner with IAG to transform your clinical trials and maximize your therapeutic asset’s market potential.

London, UK, May 8th, 2019 – IAG, Image Analysis Group , a strategic imaging partner for bio-pharma companies, announced they have entered into an collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company and Robarts Clinical Trials to validate how advanced imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) driven methodologies can accelerate the clinical development of novel breakthrough therapies and enable parties to bring novel effective treatments to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The companies will assess MRI data from patients with Crohn’s Disease, a form of IBD, and then develop targeted strategies for the development of efficient treatments using state-of-the-art and innovative methodologies.

IAG will bring scientific and clinical imaging expertise in the field of inflammatory diseases, which will be coupled with IAG’s proprietary methodologies for identifying more specific and sensitive imaging biomarkers for inflammatory driven diseases.

Robarts Clinical Research, a global clinical research organization focused on IBD, will provide clinical expertise, patient-focused insights, and data.

Lilly, a research-based company that develops, manufactures, markets, and sells pharmaceutical products, will provide imaging and clinical expertise specifically focused at bringing innovation to the development of new therapies.

“We believe that use of the right imaging and quantitative methodologies has the potential to accelerate early drug development by providing greater precision than conventional assessments, which heavily rely on subjective visual scoring of inflammation in images,” said Olga Kubassova, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, IAG.  “Smart ways of using data will enable the life sciences industry to increase the speed and quality of innovation, while saving costs.”

The future of successful clinical R&D of novel therapeutic agents is dependent on the efficient use of modern technologies and data-centric development approaches. While artificial intelligence is already optimizing drug development in many therapeutic areas, quantitative imaging-driven analytics of treatment responses as well as radiographic patient phenotyping are considered future game changers for pharmaceutical R&D. This collaboration will help advance understanding in these areas.

“We are excited to bring together novel methodologies and years of scientific expertise to generate meaningful and actionable data,” said Ajay Nirula, M.D., PhD, vice president, Immunology, Lilly. “Our hope is this collaboration will produce new insights and tools that will ultimately benefit people living with IBD.”

“As more of such data and innovation become available to the community of physicians and scientists, the more chances we have to make fast objective decisions and develop personalised treatments for individuals with luminal and fistulizing CD,”Brian Feagan, CSO of  Robarts Clinical Trials.

 

Image Analysis Group (IAG)

IAG, a pioneering imaging Clinical Research Organization (iCRO), seamlessly blends medical acumen, operational excellence, and cutting-edge AI to accelerate drug development. Since 2007, we’ve been the trusted partner for global biotech and pharma, expertly managing imaging across Phase I-III trials and real-world evidence studies in diverse therapeutic areas.

Our award-winning DYNAMIKA platform ensures unparalleled data integrity, while our innovative approach consistently unlocks and amplifies the value of novel therapies.

Partner with IAG to transform your clinical trials and maximize your therapeutic asset’s market potential.

 

About Robarts Clinical Trials

Robarts Clinical Trials Inc. (RCTI) is a global research organization providing clinical trial and central image management solutions (CIMS) to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Its unique model combines the efforts of leading internationally recognized academic researchers with operational experts to offer integrated solutions to its pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. Over the past 20 years, RCTI has become recognized as an expert in clinical trial design, execution, outcome development, precision medicine and image management for drug development in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Robarts Clinical Trials Inc. provides services in over 55 countries worldwide, collaborates with leading academic research institutions across the globe and partners with many of the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations to bring new and improved treatment options to patients.