UCB, S.A., a biopharmaceutical company based in Brussels, Belgium, has out-licensed its artificial intelligence (AI) based fracture identification technology, BoneBot, to ImageBiopsy Lab, based in Vienna, Austria. According to UCB, more than two-thirds of vertebral fractures are undiagnosed. UCB is hoping to launch the new system by 2023.
“As digitalization of health increases, so does the potential of leveraging artificial intelligence for improving care for many diseases, including osteoporosis. The number one risk factor for fragility fractures is a previous fracture. Identifying and appropriately treating patients who have already suffered a vertebral fracture is therefore key to ensuring that patients can continue to live their life to the fullest and avoid further fracture,” said Emmanuel Caeymaex, executive vice president Immunology Solutions & Head of U.S. at UCB.
“Together with expert clinicians, UCB has developed a deep-learning computational model that can detect vertebral compression fractures on CT scans. Partnering with a leading musculoskeletal radiology AI company will ensure this technology can be integrated into clinical care.”
Brandon Drew, head of the Bone Mission at UCB, explained to OTW, “We recognize digital is rapidly transforming healthcare delivery, due to the deep integration of technology in our lives. UCB has been investing consistently into our digital business transformation to unleash the power of digital innovation, to help achieve better outcomes for patients, faster.”
“We cannot solve the most complex challenges in healthcare on our own. We strategically partner and invest in meaningful relationships with those who share our vision and have the technology and data capabilities that can drive our transformation further to make a bigger, more sustainable impact together. For BoneBot we were also eager to partner with medtech companies to accelerate time to impact for people living with osteoporosis and explored options to find the best partner.”
“As a leading musculoskeletal artificial intelligence-supported imaging diagnostic company, ImageBiopsyLab can help to accelerate the time to impact of the BoneBot technology, which will enable effective clinical intervention earlier and, in turn, could potentially help reduce the co-morbidities associated with osteoporosis.
OTW asked Drew about these fractures “hiding in plain sight.”
“Left untreated, vertebral fractures often progress to involve multiple levels in the thoracic and lumbar spine, leading to disabling pain, increased kyphosis (curved spine), and loss of independence and confidence,” he said.
“Increases in thoracic kyphosis and height loss contribute to problems such as swallowing and breathing difficulties, and incontinence. Patients experiencing these fractures are also at a markedly increased likelihood of a second fracture, particularly one to two years following the fracture.”
“Unfortunately, vertebral fractures are frequently missed in imaging. In fact, one study in patients who have experienced a hip fracture observed that 41% of patients had a prior vertebral fracture observable in imaging, but only 46%, less than half, of these fractures were identified by the radiologists. These patients then miss out on the opportunity to prevent that next fracture, which is particularly impactful given the availability of treatment that have been found to reduce the risk of fracture within 6 to 12 months by 50–80%.”
“An initial proof of concept study in collaboration with academic institutions in Belgium has shown encouraging results which have been presented at international conferences. We are currently busy testing at scale with studies in Denmark and China. Looking out one year from now, we plan to have multiple studies running across to world to validate clinical performance of BoneBot in a wider context to gather the evidence necessary for regulatory approvals for commercial roll-out.”
