Companies will collaborate to boost novel treatments for individuals with geographic atrophyRetinAI Medical – a company focused on clinical and imaging data management using AI – has announced a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim.The companies are joining forces to improve patient outcomes in geographic atrophy (GA) by combining Boehringer Ingelheim’s considerable research in retinal diseases with RetinAI’s discovery platform and associated AI tools.RetinAI’s system for establishing novel biomarkers will be tested through the analysis of Boehringer Ingelheim’s imaging datasets from real-world evidence and clinical studies, to identify additional novel biomarkers and predictors of disease progression.
The incorporation of advanced digital technologies and AI could help speed up the development of novel treatments, enabling earlier diagnosis. This ambition will contribute to Boehringer Ingelheim’s vision of preventing sight loss and blindness caused by retinal diseases.Dr Carlos Ciller, chief executive officer at RetinAI, was optimistic about the difference that the collaboration could make: “RetinAI is excited to embark on this very important collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a leader in the development of innovative, more precise treatments and application of digital technologies in retinal diseases.”
He added: “Our Discovery platform and novel AI tools in GA accelerate research and provide robust disease insights. We are confident that this collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim can pave the way to novel treatments that are better tailored to a patient’s disease to transform the lives of people living with retinal diseases.”GA is an advanced, progressive form of age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, it is a leading cause of complete loss of sight and is estimated to impact about five million people globally.The number of people affected by GA increases exponentially with age. Indeed, as the worldwide population ages, the prevalence of the disease is expected to keep rising. Loss of vision is often traumatic and permanently affects almost every aspect of a patient’s life.