Ibex Medical Analytics, an Israel-based startup focused on AI-powered cancer diagnostics and the KSM Research and Innovation Institute at Maccabi Healthcare Services, announced the deployment of the Ibex Second Read System for breast at Maccabi's pathology institute, the largest pathology lab in Israel.

WHAT IT DOES

According to Ibex, their Second Read System is the first-ever system that detects and grades cancer in breast biopsies. The system uses an AI-powered algorithm to analyze cases in parallel to pathologists. The pathologists' diagnoses and the algorithm's findings are then compared, alerting in case of discrepancies with high clinical importance (e.g. a missed cancer).

The algorithm used by the Ibex Second Read system was developed using advanced machine learning techniques and trained on data sets from Maccabi's pathology institute. Currently used in routine clinical practice, this clinical-grade product enhances the quality control process in the lab and provides a safety net, resulting in decreased diagnostic error rates and a more efficient workflow.

THE LARGER TREND

In March this year, Ibex Medical Analytics raised $11M in Series A funding led by aMoon Fund, MobiHealthNews reported. Ibex’s initial product, the Second Read system for prostate core needle biopsies diagnosis was also clinically deployed at Maccabi Healthcare Services. 

Kheiron Medical Technologies, a startup that aims to help radiologists detect breast cancer earlier by using deep learning, announced in September that it has closed a $22M Series A round led by London-headquartered VC firm Atomico.

ON THE RECORD

“We are proud to roll out a first of a kind product that improves the diagnosis of breast cancer - the most common cancer in women with over 2 million new cases globally each year. The Second Read for breast is a landmark achievement for our team of pathologists, computer scientists and AI specialists and for our partnership with Maccabi Healthcare Services, enabling us to extend the reach of our product suite. The future looks brighter than ever for Ibex, with a growing interest from pathology labs in our products and new tissue types we expect to introduce during 2020,” said Joseph Mossel, Ibex Medical Analytics' Co-Founder and CEO in a statement.

Prof. Varda Shalev, Managing Director of the Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi Research and Innovation Institute at Maccabi Healthcare Services, said: “We are excited to use the Second Read system for breast cancer detection in our routine practice following a successful research and partnership with Ibex, led by the KSM Research and Innovation Institute. At Maccabi Healthcare Services we are constantly looking for new technologies that can make a real impact on patient care. We believe that adding a security layer to our pathology reporting will improve accuracy levels of our cancer diagnosis, as already proven by the Second Read's prostate module that we have been using in the past 18 months.”