Atropos Health, a real-world data company, announced a partnership with pharmaceutical giant Novartis to help identify individuals with the rare disease paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) who have not yet been diagnosed.
PNH is a rare blood disorder of the hematopoietic stem cells, where the body's immune system attacks red blood cells. Patients present clinically with a variety of nonspecific symptoms, and the disease can cause bone marrow failure, thrombosis and intravascular hemolysis.
Novartis offers an FDA-cleared oral medication for the treatment of PNH, known as Fabhalta, or by its generic name iptacopan.
Atropos Health said it has already developed an initial AI model that can help detect individuals with PNH, which is tested and trained on real-world data and is currently available for integration into healthcare systems.
Through its partnership with Novartis, the company will build multiple AI models trained on real-world data from its Atropos Evidence Network, including Geneva OS, its operating system that can convert healthcare data into personalized evidence.
The goal of the partnership is to build AI models to help find patients with PNH that can be implemented at the point of care for members of the Atropos Evidence Network.
"At Novartis, we are committed to delivering meaningful impact for patients. Accelerating diagnosis and treatment through AI and machine learning has the power to significantly improve patient outcomes by enabling faster access to appropriate care," Rodney Gillespie, head of oncology at Novartis U.S., said in a statement.
"Our collaboration with Atropos Health to develop an AI model for identifying PNH embodies this commitment as it advances precision health, potentially enabling earlier diagnosis and timely care, reducing delays that can greatly affect patients' lives."
THE LARGER TREND
Last year, Atropos Health secured $33 million in Series B funding.
In 2023, the company completed a strategic financing round, and a year before, it scored $14 million in Series A funding.
This year alone, Atropos has announced numerous partnerships in healthcare.
In June, the company announced a collaboration with data intelligence and AI provider Databricks to increase drug discoveries, and in April, a strategic partnership with community oncology business Ontada.
In February, Atropos entered into a partnership with Emory Healthcare to advance medication formulary decisions and protocols.
Atropos partnered with xCures in January to leverage RWE-based insights to support patient care, and Atropos partnered with Merck to generate RWE, replicate studies, and produce insights and analytics based on real-world data.
