University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Rutgers University Partner with BioImagene to Develop Companion Algorithms™ for Digital Pathology
Press Release from BioImagene one their use of Companion Algorithms in collaboration with UPenn and Rutgers:
BioImagene, Inc., the leading provider of innovative digital pathology solutions, announced a collaboration today with the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey to develop Companion Algorithms™ for next generation companion diagnostics for digital pathology.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone for the diagnosis and evaluation of prostate cancer.
The scope of collaboration is broad-based and includes the application of BioImagene’s iAnalytics™ framework to develop next generation analysis, quantification, and decision support tools for anatomical pathology. Researchers and clinicians from the Penn and Rutgers University will digitize standard prostate biopsy samples using BioImagene’s Virtuoso™ framework. They will also use BioImagene’s telepathology capabilities to collaborate on development and validation of algorithms for diagnostic use.
“This collaboration marks the first step towards quantitative histoimaging in prostate cancer,” said John E. Tomaszewski, M.D., professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn. “Our goal is to improve the quality of prostate biopsy diagnostics by developing quantitative and reproducible algorithms that go beyond Gleason Grading, to be even more predictive of treatment outcomes.”
“Computer vision image analysis is translational technology, which if utilized properly, can be used in conjunction with molecular diagnostic tests to provide a more complete and accurate diagnosis for patients to determine the most appropriate therapy for individuals,” said Anant Madabhushi, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory for Computational Imaging and Bioinformatics (LCIB) at Rutgers and member of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. “BioImagene was an ideal industry partner, given their success in making Companion Algorithms available for clinical use.”
“The promise of digital pathology lies at the interface between scanning hardware and advanced software algorithms. This partnership marks a transition in the nascent field of digital pathology, which is shifting away from focusing on scanning hardware to a new focus that integrates clinically relevant algorithms into an advanced platform,” said Michael Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., director pathology informatics and assistant dean for IT at the Penn School of Medicine.
“We are honored to partner with world-renowned, prestigious institutions like Penn and Rutgers to develop next generation cancer diagnostic tools that will benefit the entire digital pathology community,” said Ajit Singh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of BioImagene.
“Our goal is to bridge the clinical practice of pathology and personalized medicine by utilizing Companion Algorithms to determine patient suitability for specific cancer therapies,” added Robert Monroe, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of BioImagene. “This collaboration is another positive step we are taking to make that vision a reality.”
About Penn Medicine
One of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $3.6 billion enterprise.
About Rutgers
Established in 1766, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Serving more than 54,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers offers more than 280 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs. The university is home to 27 degree-granting schools and colleges, and more than 150 specialized centers and institutes.
