GNS Healthcare and Swedish Cancer Institute Launch Machine Learning Collaboration to Strengthen Delivery of Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer Care

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and SEATTLE, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading precision medicine company GNS Healthcare (GNS) and the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) today announced a machine learning collaboration to strengthen, accelerate, and potentially expand the delivery of precision medicine in breast cancer care.

GNS will employ its breakthrough causal machine learning and simulation platform REFS™ (Reverse Engineering and Forward Simulation) to build computer models and ultimately a software interface tool that will link clinical and molecular data to treatment and outcomes across SCI's patient population. The collaboration will use aggregated patient data from SCI's Breast Cancer Research Registry, and Personalized Medicine Research Program (PMRP), to build these computer models. REFS-generated models can support clinical decision-making through a better understanding of treatment success based on individualized genetic backgrounds. These models can be used to simulate potential treatment interventions and their effect on disease outcomes. The results of these analyses can then be interpreted through GNS's software interface to support optimal delivery of treatments to individual patients.

"Few oncologists today have the complete training or time necessary to decipher complex results of a tumor's biologic fingerprint. GNS' REFS-generated models will streamline this process and enhance our PMRP's work to support providers and their patients with treatment recommendations," said Thomas Brown, MD, Executive Director of the Swedish Cancer Institute. "This unique collaboration is intended to facilitate the practice of personalized, i.e. precision, medicine at the SCI, increasing access of this important resource to our patients, while allowing our doctors to remain patient-focused."

Dr. Henry Kaplan, Head of Breast Medical Oncology, and Principal Investigator of the Breast Cancer Research Registry, emphasized that "this project has the potential to optimize use of genomic information in the care of our breast cancer patients, to include through our SCI Molecular Tumor Board."

"SCI is a clear trailblazer in precision medicine, and we are honored to be collaborating on this effort that not only brings great value to SCI patients and providers, but also demonstrates how to leverage technology to scale the delivery of precision medicine," said Iya Khalil, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of GNS. "This collaboration is the first of its kind in establishing an enhanced precision medicine capability and holistic disease understanding."

By automating the process of connecting cancer patients with their most effective treatment, the GNS-SCI collaboration demonstrates a framework for scaling precision medicine initiatives. The approach makes it possible to generate the data needed by healthcare payers to prove the value of precision medicine, an outcome that would bring clarity to reimbursement decisions and expand access to life-saving treatments and better outcomes for patients. It brings the practice of precision medicine within reach for more providers and makes its promise a reality for a greater number of patients, their caregivers and families. In addition, the effort announced today sets the stage for a more expansive program capable of making discoveries that can deliver value for a range of healthcare stakeholders in the future.

About Swedish Cancer Institute
The Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) opened in 1932 as the first dedicated cancer-care center west of the Mississippi. Now in its 75th year, it is the largest and most comprehensive cancer treatment program in the Pacific Northwest. A true multidisciplinary program, SCI offers a wide range of advanced cancer-treatment options in chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery – backed by extensive diagnostic capabilities, patient education and support-group services. SCI's clinical-research arm encompasses industry-sponsored and cooperative group therapeutic trials, cancer screening and prevention trials, and investigator-initiated trials. Breast-cancer screening and diagnostics are available through the Swedish Breast Care Centers and mobile mammography units. For more information, visit www.swedish.org. 

About GNS Healthcare
GNS Healthcare applies causal machine learning and simulation technology to predict which treatments will work for which patients, improving individual patient outcomes and the health of populations, while reducing the total cost of care. The GNS technology is based on its MeasureBase™ data integration architecture and patented REFS™ (Reverse Engineering and Forward Simulation) causal inference and simulation engine. Health plans, bio-pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, foundations, academic medical centers, and self-insured employers use these cloud-based solutions to solve pressing and costly problems including metabolic syndrome, medication adherence, end-of-life care, preterm birth, personalized care pathways in specialty care, oncology, and diabetes, new drug target discovery, patient stratification in clinical trials, and more. GNS solutions focus on reducing adverse events, slowing disease progression, and improving therapeutic effectiveness through precision matching that maximizes impact on individual patient health outcomes while reducing wasteful spending and downstream medical costs.

Discover what works. For whom.

www.gnshealthcare.com

Media Contacts

GNS Healthcare
Karen Sharma
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
[email protected]

Swedish Cancer Institute
Karrie Spitzer
Swedish Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE GNS Healthcare

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