Concr Launches VISION Trial Using Digital Twins for Predicting Breast Cancer Outcomes

Concr has initiated the recruitment of patients for the VISION trial, an observational clinical study designed to evaluate Concr's predictive algorithm that utilizes biomarkers to determine chemotherapy and immunotherapy responses in early-stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).

VISION (NCT06409221) is a 24-month retrospective observational study focused on women who have been previously diagnosed with early TNBC and have undergone chemotherapy followed by curative breast surgery. The trial aims to collect historical clinical data and profile archival cancer biopsy samples from up to 200 women to identify and validate biomarkers indicative of chemotherapy response, both with and without the addition of immunotherapy.

Image credit: Concr

Dr. Uzma Asghar, Concr’s Chief Scientific Officer and VISION Project Lead, emphasized the significance of this study:

“Triple Negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Hence, Concr has prioritised this clinical indication as a key research area by sponsoring the VISION study. The VISION study will test the value created through the combination of clinical data, genomic data and machine learning approaches for enabling treatment stratification at an individual level. We believe this approach will represent the next generation of diagnostic platforms in cancer care.”

The VISION trial is a multi-centre study conducted at sites in the UK and Australia, supported by an Innovate UK Precision Medicine project grant (AI-VISION). Key collaborators include The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a leading specialist cancer hospital, is the primary clinical site, having begun patient recruitment last month.

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Dr. Navita Somaiah, Principal Investigator at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden, expressed optimism about the trial:

“We’re very pleased to take the next step in this innovative project, which is using AI to try to uncover new methods to predict which women with triple negative breast cancer may respond better or less well to current therapies. We hope this collaboration will ultimately help to guide treatment for some women with this form of breast cancer.”

Concr’s FarrSight®-Twin technology will be central to the VISION trial. This technology integrates genomic data from diagnostic and surgical breast cancer samples with whole-slide imaging and clinical data from trial participants to create a “digital twin” for each patient. These digital twins will be used to predict responses to chemotherapy (including anthracyclines, taxanes, platinum, and anti-metabolites) and immunotherapy (such as pembrolizumab). Furthermore, FarrSight® will be employed to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying sensitivity to these treatments, potentially leading to improved stratification and treatment of TNBC, which disproportionately affects black women.

Dr. Irina Babina, CEO of Concr, commented:

“While much of the dialogue surrounding AI in healthcare focuses on its potential, we must not overlook the fact that AI tools can - and do - deliver tangible benefits to patients today. VISION is testing a novel individualised care approach designed by clinicians, leveraging latest technology alongside existing diagnostic tests, to facilitate rapid adoption.”

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