New AI service offers personalized drug response predictions for canine patients with cancer

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With cancer affecting approximately 6 million dogs each year,¹ the veterinary demand for individualized canine cancer testing has been on the rise.² In an effort to revolutionize clinical approaches to cancer treatment for dogs, ImpriMed, a precision medicine startup, recently announced the launch of ImpriMed Drug Response Predictions (DRP), an artificial intelligence (AI) service that delivers personalized anticancer drug response predictions for canine patients with lymphoma or leukemia.²

ImpriMed’s DRP tool is an addition to the company’s personalized prediction profile, which includes an “immunoprofile” report that provides clonality and immunophenotype information. This report allows the veterinary oncologist to definitively diagnose the presence and subtype of lymphoma and leukemia.³ DRP, which is also being offered as a standalone test, utilizes AI technology and a database of known clinical outcomes of canine patients with lymphoma and leukemia.² The prediction tool analyzes the patient’s health information, including their live cancer cells, medical history, and breed to provide insight into which drugs are likely to result in effective treatment.³

"AI is a powerful ally in advancing patient outcomes, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatments, and ultimately, elevating the standard of care,” Sungwon Lim, PhD, CEO and cofounder of ImpriMed, said in a news release.² “We’re thrilled to unveil ImpriMed Drug Response Predictions to fulfill growing customer demand for individualized testing and fundamentally transform clinical approaches to canine cancer treatment. With ImpriMed’s personalized predictions, veterinarians can quickly and confidently establish treatment plans that improve the quality of life for patients and their pet parents.”

During the testing process, the patient’s live cancer cells are exposed to 13 commonly used blood cancer drugs.^2,3 Thereafter, the prognostic predictions for CHOP, a chemotherapy drug combination that contains cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, are delivered within 6 to 7 calendar days of receiving patient samples at ImpriMed’s California laboratory.²

According to ImpriMed, their AI technology services have resulted in the following²:

• Extended canine median survival time: According to Frontiers in Oncology, dogs with relapsed B-cell lymphoma that received ImpriMed's DRP experienced an extended median survival time of 160 to 187 days.4
• Improved veterinarian-client relationships: 70 of 87 surveyed veterinary oncologists reported having a better understanding of treatment options through the individualized care plans provided in ImpriMed reports. Expedited access to the most effective treatments, may help reduce client expenses and potentially improve patient outcomes and overall well-being.
• Veterinarian recommendation: 83 of 87 surveyed veterinary oncologists using ImpriMed were satisfied with the company’s report content and their services overall. Survey respondents noted decreased treatment costs, improved clinician or facility/clinic reputation, and the potential to improve patient survival time as primary service benefits.

In a 2016 necropsy study of 2002 dogs, it was revealed that 45% of canines aged 10 years or older and 23% of dogs of all ages died of cancer.⁵ Moreover, according to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 6 million cats receive a new cancer diagnosis yearly.¹ An AI drug response prediction tool like ImpriMed’s DRP is a promising step toward improved pet patient care, according to the company.

References

1. What is comparative oncology? National Cancer Institute. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://ccr.cancer.gov/Comparative-Oncology-Program/pet-owners/what-is-comp-onc
2. ImpriMed launches innovative AI-driven Drug Response Predictions (DRP) service to guide tailored treatments, meet rising demand in veterinary oncology. News release. ImpriMed. May 28, 2024. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240528896580/en/ImpriMed-Launches-Innovative-AI-Driven-Drug-Response-Predictions-DRP-Service-to-Guide-Tailored-Treatments-Meet-Rising-Demand-in-Veterinary-Oncology
3. Services for canine lymphoma & leukemia. ImpriMed. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.imprimedicine.com/immunoprofile#:~:text=The%20ImpriMed%20Immunoprofile%20report%20includes,subtype%20of%20lymphoma%20and%20leukemia.
4. Callegari AJ, Tsang J, Park S, et al. Multimodal Machine Learning models identify chemotherapy drugs with prospective clinical efficacy in dogs with relapsed B-cell lymphoma. Frontiers in Oncology. 2024;14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2024.1304144
5. Gardner HL, Fenger JM, London CA. Dogs as a model for cancer. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences. 2016;4(1):199-222. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-022114-110911