Clinical AI company Sensyne Health has received regulatory approval in the UK for its SYNE-COV machine learning algorithm for COVID-19 risk prediction. 

SYNE-COV analyses over 60 variables in the patient electronic health record to generate a prediction of the likelihood of a COVID-19 positive patient developing severe disease, requiring ventilation or admission to intensive care. It provides the risk prediction, together with an explanation of the result, to help clinicians manage patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 infection. 

The SYNE-COV product was developed in collaboration between Sensyne and the Chelsea & Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is the first algorithm developed from the SENSE clinical and operational algorithm engine to achieve UK regulatory approval. SENSE generates clinical AI algorithms (called SYNEs) from the analysis of data in patient electronic health records to provide decision support to clinicians. The company has several algorithms currently in development across multiple medical conditions, which subject to regulatory approval, it intends to market to healthcare providers in the UK and internationally. 

Following regulatory approval, Sensyne is now able to market SYNE-COV across the UK. Sensyne will market the algorithm to NHS Trusts in order to help them with COVID-19 preparedness and to deploy the algorithm in good time for the 2021/22 winter season. 

Dominic Conlin, hospital director, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re excited by the possibilities this offers. This is individualised care by using patients’ own data to stratify risks and predict responses to clinical treatments, informing and supporting clinical decision making. This is a real step in taking forward digital innovation, data integration and analytics to enhance patient care in the NHS.”

Lord (Paul) Drayson, CEO of Sensyne Health, added: “This is the first Sensyne Clinical AI algorithm to achieve regulatory approval that has been developed using our SENSE clinical AI platform. The SENSE engine is expected to be able to generate clinical algorithms across a range of medical conditions that will provide real-time clinical decision-making support. Achieving the first regulatory approval is an important milestone for the company and we look forward to being able to roll SYNE-COV out to the NHS.”