Blood Test Combines AI and Machine Learning to Detect Cancer Before It Becomes Visible or Symptomatic

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Dec 2021

Illustration

A simple blood test combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) advances to identify cancer before it is visible or symptomatic.

Flagship Pioneering (Cambridge, MA, USA) has launched Harbinger Health (Pune, MH, India), a bioplatform company pioneering the detection of early cancer with a simple blood test that combines AI and ML advances with its recent discoveries about the biology of early cancer. By using this Bio-AI approach to identify cancer before it is visible or symptomatic, Harbinger Health’s proprietary HarbingerHx platform has the potential to create an entirely new paradigm for cancer diagnosis, enabling early therapeutic interventions or prevention.

“Harbinger Health has the potential to revolutionize the way we detect, diagnose, and treat cancer, enabling interventions at a much earlier phase of the disease than is currently possible,” said Doug Cole, M.D., Co-Founder and Chairman, Harbinger Health and Managing Partner, Flagship Pioneering. “Unlike prior approaches that are purely statistical in nature, Harbinger’s approach is informed by its insights into specific biological events that take place early in the development of cancer. After three years of research and development within Flagship Labs, we have created a platform that harnesses these insights to enable high-resolution, blood-based assays. With Harbinger Health, we have the potential to intervene in the cancer continuum far earlier than ever before, thus increasing the opportunities to save more lives.”

“Harbinger Health is poised to redefine our approach to oncology, moving beyond cancer ‘staging,’ and toward early detection that enables the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and ultimately to effectively reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease,” said Stephen Hahn, M.D., CEO, Harbinger Health and CEO-Partner, Flagship Pioneering. “We are committed to developing our platform so there is access to early cancer detection for all individuals with a simple test. No one should be disadvantaged in the fight against cancer – it’s our goal to bring the power of this platform not only to those with access to the top cancer centers – but to everyone.”

Related Links:
Flagship Pioneering
Harbinger Health