The biotechnology company ImpriMed has introduced the Drug Response Predictions (DRP) test to measure how a dog’s live cancer cells will respond to different cancer drugs. The test also uses artificial intelligence to predict which drugs will likely be most effective for dogs diagnosed with lymphoma or leukemia.
“AI is a powerful ally in advancing patient outcomes, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatments and, ultimately, elevating the standard of care,” said Sungwon Lim, ImpriMed’s CEO and co-founder.
Within seven calendar days, the company’s California laboratory produces results that include:
- CHOP protocol predictions: The DRP report explains the likelihood that the canine patient’s cancer will go into complete remission after different durations of CHOP or L-CHOP therapy, and how long the remission is likely to last. The predictions are generated by AI models trained on clinical outcomes and lab testing data from hundreds of canine lymphoma cases.
- Single drug response predictions: They reveal the likelihood of a partial or complete remission in response to 13 anticancer drugs commonly used to treat canine lymphoma and leukemia. The patient’s live cancer cells are exposed to L-asparaginase, mitoxantrone, vincristine, vinblastine, doxorubicin, rabacfosadine, chlorambucil, mechlorethamine, lomustine, prednisolone, mafosfamide, melphalan and dexamethasone.
The sample collection for lymphoma is fine-needle aspirate from a swollen lymph node, plus 2 milliliters of blood in an EDTA tube. For leukemia, it’s 2 milliliters of blood in an EDTA tube.
“With ImpriMed’s personalized predictions, veterinarians can quickly and confidently establish treatment plans that improve the quality of life for patients and their pet parents,” Dr. Lim said.
According to a study published in Frontiers in Oncology, dogs with relapsed B-lymphoma who were treated based on ImpriMed’s DRP report experienced an extended median survival time of 160 to 187 days.
Ninety-five percent of veterinary oncologists surveyed about their experience with ImpriMed said they were satisfied with the report’s content and the overall services. They noted primary benefits of decreased treatment costs, improved clinician or facility reputation, and the chance to improve patient outcomes.