Roche announces collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to advance personalised healthcare through digital pathology solutions

• Collaboration builds on commitment to advance personalised healthcare by helping to improve access to new treatment options for patients with solid tumours
• Advances in computation and artificial intelligence (AI) in digital pathology are showing promise to meet the demand for more accurate and comprehensive assessment of pathology results to enable improved patient outcomes
• Leverages Roche’s Digital Pathology Open Environment and the collaboration with PathAI, bringing innovative technology faster to clinical trial settings and anatomic pathology laboratories

TUCSON, Ariz., March 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to support the advancement of two assays for use in clinical trials with the development and deployment of two new digital pathology algorithms.

In the first project under this collaboration, Roche Digital Pathology is creating an AI-based image analysis algorithm to aid pathologists in interpreting the on-market VENTANA PD-L1 (SP142) Assay. Bristol Myers Squibb will use this algorithm to generate biomarker data from clinical trial samples.

In the second project, Roche will leverage its recently announced Open Environment collaboration with PathAI to integrate a PathAI-developed algorithm for CD8 biomarker analysis into the NAVIFY Digital Pathology workflow software. The AI-powered algorithm will be used by Bristol Myers Squibb to analyse clinical trial samples that have been stained with Roche’s CD8 assay and generate quantitative spatial biomarker data.

Data from both projects will be used to aid in cancer diagnosis and to advance personalised healthcare treatment options, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients.

“The Bristol Myers Squibb and PathAI collaborations are among the first examples where AI technology and digital pathology applications are playing a role in developing treatments for patients. By using our NAVIFY Digital platform to interpret tissue based assays and AI algorithms, pathologists are better able to identify targeted therapy options, ultimately improving patient care,” said Jill German, Head of Roche Diagnostics Pathology Customer Area.

Pathology imaging tools based on artificial intelligence can help to support clinical trials in the investigation of targeted therapy options. Expanding access to these innovative imaging tools through the Roche Digital Pathology Open Environment can potentially enable more precise diagnoses, improved clinical decision-making and lead to more personalised treatment strategies.

“We believe digital methods will bring significant improvements in standardisation and interpretation of tissue-based assays and will enable broader access to tissue based assays. The ability to more deeply interrogate images will present opportunities to better understand disease biology, potentially leading to expanded and improved drug development options and ultimately highly effective patient selection strategies,” said Sarah Hersey, Vice President, Translational Sciences and Diagnostics, Bristol Myers Squibb. “We are pleased to be part of this collaboration that is using leading edge technology to enable improved  patient outcomes.”

About Roche Digital Pathology

As the leading provider of pathology lab solutions, Roche is delivering an end-to-end digital pathology solution from tissue staining to producing high-quality digital images that can be reliably assessed using automated clinical image analysis algorithms.

Whole slide imaging combined with modern artificial intelligence (AI)-based image analysis tools have the potential to transform the practice of pathology. The use of AI and deep learning methods to interpret whole slide images in digital pathology enables pathologists to derive novel and meaningful diagnostic insights from tissue samples. AI-based image analysis automates quantitative tasks and enables fast, repeatable evaluation of information-rich tissue images that are sometimes difficult to interpret manually. AI-based image analysis uncovers aspects that are invisible to the human eye and reduces the risk of human error. Patients, whose tissue samples are analysed using AI-based image analysis, can benefit from a faster and more accurate diagnosis. The insights gained from these analyses can help pathologists determine the best treatment option for cancer patients.

Roche offers two deployment options for its uPath software: an on-premise solution and a cloud solution, marketed as NAVIFY Digital Pathology. The VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner and Roche uPath enterprise software are CE-IVD marked for in-vitro diagnostic use and are available in the U.S. for research use only (RUO). Image analysis algorithms developed by third-party entities and their utilisation are the responsibility of the third party provider.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, as well as growing capabilities in the area of data-driven medical insights help Roche deliver truly personalised healthcare. Roche is working with partners across the healthcare sector to provide the best care for each person.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. In recent years, the company has invested in genomic profiling and real-world data partnerships and has become an industry-leading partner for medical insights.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the thirteenth consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceutical industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2020 employed more than 100,000 people worldwide. In 2020, Roche invested CHF 12.2 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 58.3 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

For further information:
Derrick Fennell
Roche Tissue Diagnostics Communications
520.203.1757
derrick.fennell@roche.com 

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SOURCE Roche