Change and Innovation AI Empowerment Novartis and Philips sign a strategic cooperation memorandum to jointly increase the diagnosis rate of rare diseases of the central nervous system

Novartis (China) and Philips (China) signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation at the 4th China International Import Expo to give full play to the professional advantages of both parties in the fields of medical health and medical artificial intelligence. The breakthrough is to promote the innovation of imaging technology and improve the diagnosis technology of multiple sclerosis, thereby further shortening the diagnosis cycle of rare diseases and increasing the diagnosis rate.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals (China) Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Medical Affairs Wu Ling said: “Only by integrating the most cutting-edge technology and rich experience in the industry can we develop better medical solutions and benefit patients. Novartis is in the field of central nervous disease Deeply cultivated for many years and have rich experience in disease diagnosis, treatment and management. This cooperation hopes to fully release the huge potential brought by the innovation of imaging technology and artificial intelligence, accelerate the overcoming of the difficult problems of “difficult to find” and “difficult to diagnose” rare diseases, and realize a “healthy China”. A beautiful vision that can’t be missed.”

The clinical manifestations are complex and changeable, and the diagnosis cycle is long

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease characterized by inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system. It was included in the "China's First List of Rare Diseases" in 2018. According to the "2021 China Multiple Sclerosis Patients Survival Treatment Report", the time from onset of MS patients in my country to treatment is more than one year, the average diagnosis time is more than three years, and 50% of patients are misdiagnosed1. Failure to diagnose and treat MS in time can cause severe disabilities such as paralysis and blindness, and cause a huge burden on the family and society. Accurate diagnosis and early initiation of high-efficiency treatment are important means to delay the progression of disability and reduce the rate of disability.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the keys to achieve early diagnosis of MS, and it is also of great value for follow-up and evaluation of the course of the disease. MRI images can clearly show the location, number, size and distribution of the lesion.

Professor Liu Yaou, Director of the Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, said: “With the development of imaging technology, especially the development of MRI technology, more subtle lesions can be detected in the early stage of the disease, making our understanding of demyelinating diseases more comprehensive and comprehensive. In-depth, to provide a strong basis for the follow-up treatment of clinicians. However, in practical applications, imaging examinations still have some challenges, such as insufficient standardization of research methods, lack of standardized tools and data, and different levels of examiners, which make different hospitals issue There may be differences in the results of imaging examinations. How to promote the standardization and customization of imaging examinations is what we urgently need to advance."

With standardized clinical management as the center, we will jointly promote the whole course of imaging follow-up diagnosis and treatment

The cooperation between Novartis and Philips will include exploring the cooperation of special disease diagnosis and treatment management mode centered on imaging diagnosis and standardized clinical management, starting from multiple sclerosis disease as a breakthrough, jointly exploring and developing the possibility of advanced imaging diagnosis mode; Cutting-edge medical imaging methods such as compressed sensing and artificial intelligence drive customized and structured image reports, promote the practice of diagnosis and treatment results of patients with image tracking throughout the course of the disease, shorten the diagnosis time of patients and standardize clinical follow-up. At the same time, it breaks through the boundaries of traditional diagnosis and treatment models, creates disease-centric solutions and ecosystems, and provides patients with more extended services.

Liang Jianqiu, Vice President of Philips Greater China, General Manager of the Total Solution Center, and Head of Strategic Cooperation, said: “As a pioneer of digital innovation in the healthcare field, Philips has always focused on the unmet clinical needs of China’s medical system. We believe in the cooperation with Novartis It can accelerate the application of cutting-edge technologies, one-stop solutions, and innovative business models in the medical field, help MS patients shorten the diagnosis cycle, promote industry norms, and realize greater value to the industry and patients."