Paige and Janssen Deploy AI Based Biomarker Test For Bladder Cancer

"We are excited to mark a new chapter in deploying Janssen’s AI technology in a clinical setting to efficiently detect biomarkers in rare gene mutations."

Jill Stefanelli, PhD, President and Chief Business Officer, Paige

This week Paige?announced that in collaboration with Janssen they will deploy a new AI based biomarker test for advanced bladder cancer in a clinical setting. This marks a major milestone in the deployment of Janssen’s AI technology in a clinical setting to efficiently detect biomarkers. Most patients with bladder cancer do not have testing to identify potential genomic alterations. When doctors do order gene sequencing, it typically takes weeks for the results to be returned. With this new AI based biomarker test, patients will have their results in less than one hour. This is a very significant advance because it means that patients can enroll in clinical trials and start treatment much sooner instead of waiting weeks?- or even longer, for those who aren’t sequenced.

Paige and Janssen will collaborate to deploy an AI-powered, hematoxylin and eosin based biomarker test, developed by Janssen, to screen for actionable fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR2 and FGFR3) genomic alterations. Approximately 15% of people with advanced bladder cancer have alterations in the FGFR gene.

“Currently, most patients do not have their tumors sequenced to identify mutations and therefore are not receiving targeted treatments that could potentially increase their chances of treatment success. We thought – what if we could leverage the power of?AI?– applied to routine histopathology slides – to quickly, easily and efficiently detect genetic mutations and help physicians make more informed treatment decisions? We developed an AI-based algorithm capable of doing precisely this. If successful, this test will mark a major advancement toward?precision medicine and a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to improve patient care and transform the trajectory of healthcare.”

Najat Khan, PhD, Chief Data Science Officer and Global Head, Janssen R&D Strategy and Operations, Johnson and Johnson

The novel AI-based algorithm, developed by Janssen’s R&D, data science, and oncology teams, is the first of its kind screening tool. It will be used to screen data from global clinical trial sites and rapidly deliver results predicting the presence of specific genomic alterations. Patients predicted to have these alternations will then receive additional testing to confirm if they have the alterations. The aim of this collaboration is twofold: to provide doctors with insights so that they can create tailored treatment plans, and to accelerate recruitment and enrollment of patients with specific tumor FGFR mutations into clinical trials.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide and the 4th most common cancer in men.?According to the American Cancer Society, in 2021 about 81,180 new cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in the US (61,700 men and 19,480 women), and about 17,100 people died from bladder cancer in the US (12,120 men and 4,980 women).

Worldwide bladder cancer incidence rates for men

Worldwide bladder cancer incidence rates for women

Bladder Cancer Risk Factors

1. Age: The risk of bladder cancer increases as people age. About 9 out of 10 people with bladder cancer are over the age of 55. The average age at diagnosed is 73.
2. Gender: Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men. For men, the chance of developing bladder cancer is 1 in 27. For women, the chance is 1 in 89.?
3. Ethnicity: In the US, people with European ancestry are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans.
4. Smoking: People who smoke are at least 3 times as likely to get bladder cancer as people who don't. Smoking causes about half of all bladder cancers.
5. Some chemicals: Some chemicals have been linked with bladder cancer. Benzidine and beta-naphthylamine, which are used in the dye industry, can cause bladder cancer.
6. Some medicines: According to the FDA use of the diabetes medicine pioglitazone (Actos) is linked with an increased risk of bladder cancer and the risk increases at higher doses.
7. Chemotherapy: The chemotherapy drug Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) can irritate the bladder and increase the risk of bladder cancer.
8. Radiation therapy: People who are treated with radiation to the pelvis have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer.
9. Some herbal supplements: Dietary supplements containing aristolochic acid (found in herbs from the?Aristolochia family) have been linked with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
10. Arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked with a higher risk of bladder cancer. For most Americans, drinking water isn't a major source of arsenic.
11. Lack of fluids: People who don't drink enough fluids, especially water, have higher rates of bladder cancer. This might be because without enough fluids chemicals stay in the bladder longer.
12. Chronic bladder infections: Chronic urinary track infections and kidney stones are linked to bladder cancer.

Source: American Cancer Society

Subscribe and Comment

I'm interested in your feedback - please leave your comments. To subscribe please click subscribe at the top of this article.

Copyright ? 2022 Margaretta Colangelo. All Rights Reserved.

This article was written by?Margaretta Colangelo. ?Margaretta is a leading AI analyst who tracks significant milestones in AI in healthcare. She's consulting at AI healthcare companies and she writes about some of the companies she's consulting with. Margaretta serves on the advisory board of the AI Precision Health Institute at the University of Hawai?i?Cancer Center?@realmargaretta