AstraZeneca, Qure.ai and PATH partnership aims to improve lung health

AstraZeneca, Qure.ai and PATH have announced a partnership to improve lung health in low- to middle-income countries. 

The three organisations will collaborate to establish a framework for early diagnosis of lung cancer – a disease that caused an estimated 1.8 million deaths in 2020 alone – in individuals undergoing chest screening for the detection of tuberculosis (TB), using an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This new three‑way collaboration builds on AstraZeneca and Qure.ai’s existing partnership.

Since December 2020, AstraZeneca has been partnering with Qure.ai through the A.Catalyst Network, a global network of more than 20 AstraZeneca health innovation hubs committed to advancing cutting-edge science and building a sustainable future. Utilising Qure.ai’s deep learning algorithms for the interpretation of radiology images, this partnership has focused on improving early detection of lung cancer and ultimately reducing lung cancer mortality rates across Emerging Markets.

By extending the partnership to include PATH (a global non-profit that works to accelerate health equity through innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges), its existing network in countries with high TB incidence can be leveraged to identify clinics screening for lung cancer in addition to tuberculosis. Qure.ai’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is already being utilised in some of these clinics to screen TB only, can now expand its capability, ensuring that more patients can be assessed by a single chest X‑ray that will screen for TB, lung cancer and other potential lung diseases.

The new initiative, which will be piloted in two markets (yet to be confirmed), will use technologies with the potential to identify early-stage lung cancer and improve cure rates. In certain countries, 70–86% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed after the disease has spread beyond the lungs (Stage IIB–IV). In early (Stage IA) diagnosed patients, the five-year survival rate can be as high as 92%, however, prognosis worsens for patients diagnosed at Stage IV to a maximum five-year survival rate of 10%.

AstraZeneca will leverage its knowledge of lung cancer as a disease area, to recommend referral sites and provide recommendations to ensure an integrated screening approach. Qure.ai will continue to deploy its AI technologies as part of the three-way collaboration. PATH’s role will include stakeholder mapping, liaison, and advocacy, as well as promoting and recommending public health programmes on the importance and impact of screening beyond the detection of TB, especially for indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN) and lung cancer.

Leon Wang, executive vice president international and China country president, AstraZeneca, said: “Building health systems that are resilient and sustainable will require finding new ways to prevent disease, diagnose patients earlier, and treat them more effectively, particularly in addressing the silent pandemic of cancer. Lung cancer represents a significant burden in low- to middle-income countries where access to screening is limited and rarely happens at early stages, when cure may be possible. Innovative technology has the potential to transform the delivery of healthcare and, through our partnership with Qure.ai and PATH, we hope to be one step closer to the bold ambition we have set though our Lung Ambition Alliance, to one day eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death, by enabling more people to access care earlier in a reliable and affordable way.”

Prashant Warier, CEO and founder of Qure.ai, added: “This consortium is working to change the way lung health is approached, and we are delighted to be part of it. By applying what we’ve learned from working with infectious lung diseases and leveraging the power of technology, we can detect lung disorders earlier – leading to better patient outcomes at lower costs. We’re coming together to make lung health more accessible, affordable, and universal while keeping patients at the forefront.”

Neeraj Jain, country director at PATH India, commented: “Few healthcare systems take advantage of AI and technology to advance respiratory care outcomes. It’s time we leverage their potential. PATH is pleased to partner with AstraZeneca and Qure.ai to scale the use of AI for broader lung health screening and accelerate linkages to diagnosis to improve treatment outcomes and quality of care. This is an incredible opportunity for impact as well as for advancing cutting-edge technologies that can transform healthcare by enhancing quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare services.”