Owkin
Industry | Biotechnology |
---|---|
Founded | August 3, 2016 |
Founder | Thomas Clozel, Gilles Wainrib |
Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | US, France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Spain |
Products | MSIntuit CRC, RlapsRisk BC |
Services | AI Drug Discovery, AI Drug Development, AI Diagnostics |
Number of employees | 350 (2023) |
Website | owkin |
Owkin is an AI
History
Owkin was founded in 2016, by Thomas Clozel, a clinical research doctor and son of Jean-Paul and Martine Clozel founders of Swiss biotech Actelion, and Gilles Wainrib, a professor of Artificial Intelligence.[4]
Owkin has raised over $255 million and became a ‘unicorn’ – a startup valued at more than $1 billion – in November 2021 through a $180 million investment from French biopharma company Sanofi.[5]
Technologies
Federated learning
Owkin uses federated learning, a decentralized machine learning technique, to train machine learning models with multiple data providers.[6][7][8] Federated learning allows data providers to collaborate without moving or sharing their data.[8][7]
The MELLODDY project, an initiative that included Owkin, 10 pharmaceutical companies, and six other partners, applied federated learning to train AI on datasets without having to share proprietary data.[9][8][10] The aim was to improve drug discovery and they built a shared platform called MELLODDY (Machine Learning Ledger Orchestration for Drug Discovery).[9][10][8] The first results of the project were published in July 2022.[8]
Transfer learning
Transfer learning is a machine learning technique that allows a model pre-trained on one task to be used on another related task.[11] Owkin uses transfer learning to work on very small datasets.[11] Owkin's model (CHOWDER) is able to understand high-level graphic patterns, such as tumors, that are themselves relying on very low-level visual patterns, in order to fully learn the tumor's visual pattern.[12]
Products and Services
MSIntuit CRC
MSIntuit CRC is an AI-powered digital pre-screening diagnostic tool to improve colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment.[13] It screens patients for microsatellite instability (MSI), which is a key genomic biomarker in colorectal cancer.[13] MSIntuit CRC is approved for use across the European Union.[14] It underwent a blind validation in 2023, made possibly partly by its availability within Medipath, the largest pathology lab network in France.[1]
Dx RlapsRisk BC
Dx RlapsRisk BC uses AI to predict if breast cancer patients will relapse within a few years of initial treatment.[14] It is used by pathologists and oncologists to help determine the right treatment pathway for breast cancer patients.[14]
Partnerships
Amgen
Owkin collaborated with Amgen to test the ability of AI to improve cardiovascular prediction.[3]
Sanofi
In November 2021 Owkin entered a strategic alliance with Sanofi.[15] The alliance included a $180 million equity investment, and a $90 million discovery and development partnership focused on Sanofi’s oncology efforts in four different cancers.[16] Sanofi used Owkin’s technology to find new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, build prognostic models, and predict response to treatment.[17]
Bristol-Myers Squibb
In June 2022, Owkin entered a strategic alliance with Bristol-Myers Squibb to help them design potentially more precise and efficient clinical trials.[17] The collaboration initially focused on cardiovascular disease, and has the potential to expand into projects in other therapeutic areas.[18]
MSD
In December 2023, Owkin entered a strategic alliance with MSD to develop and commercialize AI-powered digital pathology diagnostics for the EU market that could be used to identify patients suitable for immunotherapies.[19]
Servier
In October 2023, Owkin and Servier started a multi-year partnership focused on developing “better-targeted therapies” in oncology and other disease areas.[20] The partnership’s first two projects were in translational medicine and digital pathology.[20]
MOSAIC
MOSAIC (Multi Omic Spatial Atlas in Cancer) was formed by Owkin,
Publications
Owkin’s research on AI/ML has led to a number of publications that focus on machine learning methodologies and the development of predictive models for different disease areas, mainly oncology.
- Courtiol, Pierre et al. “Deep learning-based classification of mesothelioma improves prediction of patient outcome”, Nat Med 25, 1519–1525 (2019)[23]
- Schmauch, Benoît et al. “A deep learning model to predict RNA-Seq expression of tumours from whole slide images”, Nature Communications volume 11, Article number: 3877 (2020)[24]
- Jean Ogier du Terrail et al. “Federated learning for predicting histological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer" Nat Med (2023). 10.1038/s41591-022-02155[25]
- Saiilard et al., “Pacpaint: a histology-based deep learning model uncovers the extensive intratumor molecular heterogeneity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma” Nat Commun 14, 3459 (2023)[26]
- Saillard et al., “Validation of MSIntuit as an AI-based pre-screening tool for MSI detection from colorectal cancer histology slides” Nature Communications 14, 6695 (2023)[27]
- Saillard et al., "Predicting Survival After Hepatocellular Carcinoma Resection Using Deep Learning on Histological Slides" Hepatology 72 (2020)[28]
Awards
- 2019 AI For Health challenge[29]
- 2020 Galien Foundation Best Digital Health Product Nominee[30]
- 2021 Tech For Good Awards - “Health” category[31]
- 2021 Member Recognition Awards from the French American Chamber of Commerce - Technology, Startups & Entrepreneurs Committee Awards[32]
References
- ^ a b "AI Steps Up to Streamline MSI Testing in Colorectal Cancer". AZoRobotics.com. 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ Alston, Fiona (2023-03-31). "French AI biotech unicorn Owkin has launched a €33 million AI-powered precision medicine project for cancer diagnosis and treatment". www.tech.eu. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ a b "Amgen, Owkin Use AI to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Prediction". Contract Pharma. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Owkin heads to Basel". Basel Area Business & Innovation. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ Rosemain, Mathieu (2021-11-18). "Drugmaker Sanofi invests $180 mln in French AI startup Owkin". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ Vinluan, Frank (2022-10-04). "Sanofi exec jumps to Owkin to ramp up the AI biotech's pharma partnership plans". MedCity News. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ a b Nanalyze (2020-01-27). "Federated Learning Explained Simply - Nanalyze". www.nanalyze.com. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ a b c d e "L'apprentissage fédéré, le futur de la médecine basée sur les données - mind Health". www.mind.eu.com. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ a b Wiggers, Kyle (2020-09-17). "Major pharma companies, including Novartis and Merck, build federated learning platform for drug discovery". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
- ^ a b "Federated Learning Can Protect Patients' Data In Hospitals". The Medical Futurist. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ a b outsourcing-pharma.com (2018-02-15). "OWKIN secures $11m to scale AI-driven drug discovery platform". outsourcing-pharma.com. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- PMC 10628260.
- ^ a b Thomas, Uduak (2023-11-10). "Owkin's AI Diagnostic for Colorectal Cancer Takes Center Stage with Promising Validation Results". GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b c "Owkin AI for identifying breast, colorectal cancer types score EU approval". Fierce Biotech.
- ^ "Sanofi inks $270M cancer AI deal with R&D platform developer Owkin". Fierce Biotech.
- ^ "Drugmaker Sanofi invests $180 mln in French AI startup Owkin". Reuters.
- ^ a b Burroughs, Tasmin Lockwood, Callum. "Exclusive: Medical AI startup Owkin just secured $80 million as it gears up to enhance drug trials with the pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "BMS Enlists Owkin's AI/ML Tech to Improve Clinical Trials". BioSpace. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Owkin and MSD join forces on AI-powered digital pathology". pharmaphorum. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ a b "Owkin signs up another pharma partner for its AI platform". pharmaphorum. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ a b "ASCO: AI-powered MOSAIC will build 3D atlas for cancer". pharmaphorum. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ a b outsourcing-pharma.com (2023-06-08). "Owkin invests $50M in spatial omics project that will 'revolutionize cancer research'". outsourcing-pharma.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ISSN 1078-8956.
- ISSN 2041-1723.
- ISSN 1546-170X.
- ISSN 2041-1723.
- PMC 10628260.
- ISSN 0270-9139.
- ^ Maignan, Iris (2019-09-13). "3 informations pour bien commencer la journée : Chaire Good In Tech, les Rebondisseurs, et Owkin". Maddyness - Le média pour comprendre l'économie de demain (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Hamilton-Basich, Melanie (2020-10-05). "Prix Galien Nominees for Best Digital Health Product Announced". 24x7. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Tech For Good Awards: découvrez les gagnants de l'édition 2021". BFM BUSINESS (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ "2021 Member Recognition Awards Recognize Impactful Initiatives in the FACC-NY Network". www.faccnyc.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.