Highlights:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death of US
women
- Breast arterial calcifications* have been shown to be
associated with cardiovascular disease
outcomes1
- The collaboration's intent is to expand breast cancer
screening programs' ability to make cardiovascular assessments from
routine mammograms
- Volpara Health, based in Wellington, NZ, is a leader in artificial
intelligence for breast cancer detection and risk
assessment
SEATTLE, Aug. 4, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Volpara Health Technologies ("Volpara," "the
Group," or "the Company"; ASX: VHT), a global health technology
software leader providing an integrated platform for personalized
breast care, today announced a new research and development
agreement with Microsoft to accelerate the creation of a solution
that detects and quantifies breast arterial calcifications
(BAC).
The collaboration shows a commitment to improving women's health
through science and innovation. The solution will build upon
Volpara's approach to quantitative and objective breast density
scoring using artificial intelligence (AI). Capitalizing upon
Volpara's recent BAC patent, the solution will create a tissue
composition map that identifies and quantifies BAC from a
mammogram, helping radiologists identify the need to take steps
toward prevention of heart disease. Integrating Microsoft Azure
Machine Learning, part of the Azure AI platform, will help improve
Volpara's BAC model and data processing.
This project is an expansion of the companies' relationship over
the last decade. Last year, Volpara's innovative work in supporting
healthcare providers was recognized with its SaaS (Software as a
Service) Award win at the Microsoft New Zealand Partner Awards.
Microsoft SaaS and cloud products have played a fundamental role in
supporting Volpara's development of the latest, FDA-cleared version
of their core AI algorithm. To date, the algorithm has been used to
assess the breast composition of more than 14.5M women through Volpara's analysis of over
67M mammography and tomosynthesis
images. These images, representing one of the world's largest
de-identified image datasets, will prove a pivotal resource for the
BAC project.
The BAC product, as a cardiac decision-support tool for
radiologists, would mark Volpara's entrance into a new area of
care, part of a US$146.4B2
cardiovascular disease market. With access to over 35 percent of
the US breast screening market, Volpara has the installation base
to facilitate rollout and adoption of the product, creating a new
revenue stream. For women, the BAC product would add a new
dimension to their regular breast screenings, providing important
information about their cardiovascular health. Any significant BAC
findings could be delivered through the Volpara® Breast
Health Platform™ directly to the healthcare provider or through
Volpara's partner network.
Recently, Volpara announced Teri
Thomas as the new Chief Executive Officer, with cofounder
and former CEO Ralph Highnam, PhD,
transitioning to Chief Science and Innovation Officer. As part of
his new role, Highnam will spearhead the BAC initiative.
Of the joint project Highnam said: "The trusted relationship we
have built with Microsoft over the years is important to Volpara's
future, especially our utilization of Azure for machine learning
and product development. Our mission and vision around the future
of healthcare align well with Microsoft's. Though we are in the
early stages of BAC product development, this collaboration will
accelerate our efforts as we advance science together."
"Early detection of heart disease can have lifesaving
implications. With early knowledge, patients can work with their
physician to stop or slow progression," said Tom McGuinness, corporate vice president, Global
Healthcare & Life Sciences, Microsoft. "Integrating Azure
Machine Learning as a service with Volpara's solution allows
providers to connect data and look for meaningful signals through
predictive analytics. Through this technology, physicians can
identify cardiac risk in patients who may not be aware that they're
at higher risk, empowering them and their provider to take
proactive steps towards their health."
*Breast arterial calcifications are clusters and patterns of
calcification that appear on the mammogram image and may indicate
heart disease or high risk of disease.
1.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7386618/#:~:text=Conclusions,and%20inversely%20associated%20with%20smoking.
2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370385/#:~:text=The%20cardiovascular%20disease%20market%2C%20which%20includes%20hypertension%2C%20dyslipidaemia,1.8%25%2C%20according%20to%20business%20intelligence%20provider%20GBI%20Research.
Authorization & Additional
Information
This announcement was authorised by the CEO of Volpara Health
Technologies Limited.
About Volpara Health Technologies Limited (ASX:VHT)
Volpara Health Technologies is a global leader in the research
and development of artificial intelligence for the early detection
of breast cancer. Volpara's software provides clinicians feedback
on breast density, compression, dose, and quality, enabling them to
offer their patients personalized breast care and enhanced risk
assessment.
Founded in 2009 on research originally conducted at the
University of Oxford, Volpara has seen
its technology and services used by customers and/or research
projects in 40 countries. Volpara's ground-breaking work is
supported by 100 patents, over 200 peer-reviewed publications, the
most rigorous security certifications, and numerous trademarks and
regulatory registrations, including FDA clearance and CE marking.
Since listing on the ASX in April
2016, Volpara has raised A$132
million. With offices in Seattle and Boston, Volpara is based in Wellington, New Zealand.
For more information, visit www.volparahealth.com.
About Microsoft Corp (Nasdaq
"MSFT" @microsoft)
Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an
intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to
empower every person and every organization on the planet to
achieve more.
For more information, visit www.microsoft.com.
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SOURCE Volpara Health