SOPHiA GENETICS partners with Karkinos Healthcare to advance cancer research

The partnership will drive testing and research for blood cancers and solid tumors

In 2018, a report from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation found that India ranked tenth among the countries with the lowest rate of cancer incidence in the world - with only 106.6 new cancer cases in 2016 for 100,000 members of its population. 

While this sounds great, it may not tell the whole story: in fact, the reason that rates are so low might be more of an issue of reporting, or even screening, as more than half of India’s cancer patients go undetected due to a shortage of adequate screening technology in rural or underdeveloped areas.

Karkinos Healthcare is a Mumbai-based cancer care technology company that is looking to fill these gaps: it works with a network of healthcare institutions and domain experts, with an aim to provide comprehensive cancer care closer to individuals' homes. 

Now it will be advancing its research capabilities through a partnership with data-driven medicine company SOPHiA GENETICS which was announced on Monday. Together, the companies will help drive cancer testing and research for blood cancers and solid tumors to underserved areas in low and middle-income countries.

Founded in 2020, Karkinos Healthcare provides an end-to-end solution for oncology,  including disease screening, diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and patient navigation.

Through this partnership, Karkinos will adopt the SOPHiA DDM Platform, which is powered by AI capabilities which standardize digital health data so it can be computed and analyzed to generate insights. The company plans to use SOPHiA GENETICS' technology to expand its offerings, advance its research, and streamline workflow for a variety of blood cancers, including Myeloid cancer and Lymphoma.

In addition, the company will analyse solid tumours for a variety of cancer types including ovarian, prostate, breast, pancreas, lung, colorectal, skin, and brain cancers.

"It is our continued goal to improve health outcomes for patients globally by expanding access to precision oncology and equipping local health institutions with the tools and technology needed to practice data-driven medicine," Dr. Jurgi Camblong, CEO and co-founder of SOPHiA GENETICS, said in a statement.

"By aligning with Karkinos, who share the mutual goal, we can help increase the use of best-in-class cancer testing for rural and underserved communities around the world."

(Image source: karkinos.in)