National Cancer Centre of Singapore Pte Ltd.

Biofourmis founder launches health LMM startup Over a year after leaving biotechnology unicorn Biofourmis, ex-CEO and founder Kuldeep Singh Rajput recently announced that he set up a new health tech company focused on generative AI. In a LinkedIn post, he shared that his newly founded startup, OutcomesAI, has partnered with SingHealth to deploy its large multi-modal model (LMM) called Glia, which allows organisations to build clinician companion AI. National Heart Centre Singapore and National Cancer Centre Singapore were identified as the first sites of the LMM integration. JLK bags 510(k) for CT perfusion AI South Korean medical AI company JLK has obtained another regulatory approval in the United States for one of its stroke AI offerings. The company received its third 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for JLK-CTP, which uses AI to automatically identify the centre of cerebral infarction and the area of cerebral hypoperfusion in brain CT perfusion images. JLK received its first 510(k) in June for its MRI-based prostate analysis AI software, then a second one for another stroke AI solution that specifically detects large vessel occlusion in brain CT scans. Korea OKs Heuron's Parkinson's disease AI Fellow Korean medical imaging AI company, Heuron, also recently received regulatory approval from the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. According to a press statement, its AI-powered software HeuronNM identifies and quantifies neuromelanin – a key biomarker of Parkinson's disease – in brain 3D MRI images. Meanwhile, Heuron is currently working to secure FDA approvals in Thailand for its range of AI solutions following its expansion there in August. Wadhwani AI backs AIIMS Indian non-profit Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) has been tapped to support the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi in its healthcare AI integration projects. AIIMS was recently designated as one of India's "AI centres of excellence" under the government's Make AI in India, Make AI Work for India initiative, in which healthcare is one of the priority areas. As a partner, Wadhwani AI will be deploying its AI solutions that support the diagnosis of chest conditions and diabetic retinopathy. The Indian government has pledged to invest over $110 million in supporting the AI COEs over the next four years. NUS Medicine establishes digital health accelerator The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has recently launched an accelerator programme for digital health startups, including those developing AI solutions in mental health and hospital administration. A collaboration with 22Health Ventures, the Digital Accelerator Programme of the NUS Medicine Digital Advanced Technology Accelerator aims to support startups from conception through global expansion. The cohort includes 2Strands, which develops blood-based cancer recurrence monitoring tests; Health BETA, which offers genetic tests and digital therapeutics for personalised health monitoring; HealthBridge AI, which is currently testing its clinical product for streamlining administrative tasks; Marymount Lab, which provides patient engagement software for preventive health; and TenangAI, which offers an AI-driven solution to support youth mental health.

Groundbreaking collaboration to unlock the full potential of PacBio’s Onso technology, accelerating breakthroughs in cancer genomics across Asia SINGAPORE, Oct. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB), a leading developer of high-quality, highly accurate sequencing solutions, today announced the signing of a new Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA) with the National Cancer Centre of Singapore (NCCS). This collaboration aims to accelerate cancer research by leveraging PacBio’s advanced sequencing technologies, including the innovative Onso short-read sequencing platform, to pro genomic landscape of prevalent cancers in Asia. The research project will focus on profiling prevalent cancers in Asia using PacBio’s Onso short-read sequencing system and Kinnex long-read sequencing kit, with a particular emphasis on single-cell RNA sequencing. The Onso platform, known for its exceptional accuracy in short-read sequencing, will enable researchers to detect clinically relevant mutations across various cancer types, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Its unique ability to deliver highly accurate data at scale makes it ideal for exploring genomic variants in cancer samples, ensuring robust analysis that could ultimately provide better cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. As part of the collaborative effort, PacBio’s authorized channel partner in Asia, DKSH, has installed the Onso platform at the Cancer Discovery Hub in NCCS, which is dedicated to expanding cancer research and discovery. The findings from this collaboration are expected to benefit not only Singapore but also provide access to this cutting-edge technology to the broader research community in Asia. The collaboration with DKSH strengthens PacBio’s commitment to supporting local researchers in advancing cancer genomics in the region. In combination with Revio’s long-read sequencing capabilities, this research collaboration will allow scientists to conduct comprehensive multi-omics studies, analyzing transcript isoforms and genetic variants at the single-cell level. The integration of Onso for short reads and Revio for long reads ensures a complete and in-depth analysis of the cancer genome, offering new possibilities for precision oncology. Asst Prof Jason Chan, Director of the Cancer Discovery Hub at NCCS, said: “We are excited to collaborate with PacBio on this initiative which combines the power of short-read and long-read sequencing, allowing us to delve deeper into the genomic complexities of cancers prevalent in Asia. The ultimate aim is to improve tailored diagnostic and treatment options for our patients.” Jason Kang, General Manager and Vice President of PacBio APAC, commented, “At PacBio, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of cancer research with our cutting-edge sequencing platforms. With the installation of the Onso platform, enabled by our trusted partner DKSH, we are bringing our advanced sequencing solutions closer to the research community, empowering researchers to unlock new insights into cancer biology.” For more information, please contact: Contacts (PacBio) Investors: Todd Friedman ir@pacificbiosciences.com Media: pr@pacificbiosciences.com About PacBio PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB) is a premier life science technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures advanced sequencing solutions to help scientists and clinical researchers resolve genetically complex problems. Our products and technologies stem from two highly differentiated core technologies focused on accuracy, quality and completeness which include our HiFi long-read sequencing and our SBB® short-read sequencing technologies. Our products address solutions across a broad set of research applications including human germline sequencing, plant and animal sciences, infectious disease and microbiology, oncology, and other emerging applications. For more information, please visit and follow @PacBio. PacBio products are provided for Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the uses, coverage, advantages, quality or performance of, or benefits or expected benefits of using, PacBio products or technologies, including in connection with the RCA between PacBio and NCCS; unlocking Onso’s potential; accelerating breakthroughs in cancer genomics research; genomic landscape profiling of prevalent cancers; detection of clinically-relevant mutations; expectations that the collaboration will benefit the Singapore and Asian research communities; conducting comprehensive multi-omics studies, and ensuring complete and in-depth analysis of the cancer genome, using Revio and Onso platforms; and other future events. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they are subject to assumptions, risks, and uncertainties and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from currently anticipated results, including, challenges inherent in sequencing a large number of genomes, and the difficulty of generating discoveries across various areas of research; potential product performance and quality issues; third-party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate PacBio’s patents or proprietary rights; and other risks associated with international operations. Additional factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in PacBio’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including PacBio’s most recent reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q, and include those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.” These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof; except as required by law, PacBio disclaims any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.

A team of scientists has developed a new AI software tool called 'BANKSY' that automatically recognizes the cell types present in a tissue, such as muscle cells, nerve cells and fat cells. Going a step beyond conventional AI tools which can group cells together into clusters if they contain similar molecules, BANKSY also considers how similar the cells' surroundings in the tissue are. A team of scientists from A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Bioinformatics Institute (BII) has developed a new AI software tool called "BANKSY" that automatically recognises the cell types present in a tissue, such as muscle cells, nerve cells and fat cells. Going a step beyond conventional AI tools which can group cells together into clusters if they contain similar molecules, BANKSY also considers how similar the cells' surroundings in the tissue are. With BANKSY, researchers would be able to improve their understanding of tissue processes in diverse diseases quicker and more accurately, which can support the development of more effective diagnostics and treatments for cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases. This breakthrough research was published in the article "BANKSY unifies cell typing and tissue domain segmentation for scalable spatial omics data analysis" in Nature Genetics on 27 February 2024. BANKSY is adept at identifying subtly distinct cell groups in spatial molecular profiles generated from tissue samples. Moreover, BANKSY addresses the distinct but related problem of demarcating functionally distinct anatomical regions in tissue sections. For instance, it can distinguish layered structures in the human forebrain. Spatial molecular profiling (Spatial Omics) technologies are powerful microscopes that allow scientists to study tissues in great detail, by revealing the exact locations of individual biological molecules in cells, as well as the arrangement of cells in tissues. This helps them understand how cells come together in tissues to perform their normal physiological functions, and also how they behave (or misbehave) in diseases such as cancer, autism or infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This understanding is essential for more accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment of patients, as well as the discovery of new drugs. BANKSY can help biologists interpret and extract insights from the latest Spatial Omics technologies that have emerged over the past few years. Versatile, accurate, fast and scalable, BANKSY stands out from existing methods at analysing both RNA and protein-based Spatial Omics data. Capable of handling large datasets of over two million cells, BANKSY is 10 to 1,000 times faster than competing methods that were tested, and two to 60 times more scalable. This means that the method can also be applied to other key data-processing steps, such as detecting and removing poor quality areas of the sample, and for merging samples taken from different patients for combined analysis. BANKSY has been independently benchmarked and found to be the best-performing algorithm for spatial omics data by two independent studies, one of which concluded that BANKSY can be a powerful solution for the identification of domains. The other study tested six algorithms and selected BANKSY as the most accurate for their data analysis. Dr Shyam Prabhakar, Senior Group Leader, Laboratory of Systems Biology and Data Analytics and Associate Director, Spatial and Single Cell Systems at A*STAR's GIS, said, "We anticipate that BANKSY will be a game-changing tool that helps to unlock the potential of emerging Spatial Omics technologies. This will hopefully improve our understanding of tissue processes in diverse diseases, allowing us to develop more effective treatments for cancers, neurological disorders and many other pathologies." Professor Liu Jian Jun, Acting Executive Director at A*STAR's GIS, said, "The work on BANKSY advances our strategy of combining high-throughput technologies with scalable, robust AI software for problem-solving and identifying the clues to what can make a difference in the lives of patients." Dr Iain Tan, Senior Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology at National Cancer Centre Singapore and Senior Clinician Scientist at A*STAR's GIS Laboratory of Applied Cancer Genomics, said, "We are using BANKSY to identify the cells that help tumours grow and spread to other parts of the body -- drugs targeting such cells could be a promising direction for cancer treatment."