AI-Aided Colonoscopy Technology: Dror Zur from Magentiq Eye in a Dialogue Exchange with PharmaShots

Shots:

Dror Zur, CEO and Founder of Magentiq Eye in a stimulating conversation with PharmaShots talks about the Lancet Digital Health Study journal that featured MAGENTIQ-COLO™, an AI-aided colonoscopy technology study
MAGENTIQ-COLO™ has already got FDA clearance and a CE mark for polyp detection during colonoscopy. The renewed version includes features like polyp size estimation, polyp characterization, and additional quality measurements calculations
With positive clinical study outcomes, showcasing an increase in adenoma detection rate (ADR) by 7 percent, the study was performed over 14 months across 10 leading medical centres, 31 endoscopists, and 952 enrolled patients

Saurabh: Would you like to give us more information about CAD and about the trials you conducted?

Dror: The MAGENTIQ-COLO™ is CAD system that increases the polyp (Adenoma) detection rate and the quality of the colonoscopy examination. It is a real-time device adjunct to the colonoscopy device. The MAGENTIQ-COLO™ points out suspicious locations of polyps in the colonoscopy video, increases the attentiveness of doctors during procedures, and thus helps them to reduce their polyp miss-rates.

Given the large population that annually undergoes colonoscopy, even a modest decrease in polyp miss-rate can save a lot of lives! The MAGENTIQ-COLO™ has a CE Mark and FDA clearance. Its next version includes additional features such as polyp size estimation, polyp characterization, and additional quality measurements calculations.

The pivotal clinical study with the MAGENTIQ-COLO™ CAD version was performed over a period of 14 months across 10 leading medical centers (four in the US: Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, MetroHealth System and Erlanger Health Systems, three in Europe and three in Israel), 31 endoscopists, and 952 screened and enrolled patients. The study shows that using MAGENTIQ-COLO™ increases adenoma detection rate (ADR) by 7% in absolute values. Increased ADR is believed to have a strong connection to the decrease in colorectal cancer (CRC) occurrence and patient mortality. In addition to ADR, the study also measured MAGENTIQ-COLO's impact on adenoma miss rate (AMR), and showed that with MAGENTIQ-COLO, AMR was 17% lower in absolute values. Measuring changes in both ADR and AMR in a single study is a novelty.

Saurabh: Could you tell us how CAD will be better than conventional colonoscopy?

Dror: It is like an additional eye that looks for polyps during the colonoscopy test, and it never gets tired, unalert or distracted. Therefore, as was validated in the clinical study, it leads to better outcomes of the colonoscopy test.

Saurabh: As you said earlier, it will be helpful in the detection of colorectal cancer. Can you elaborate on that?

Dror: Adenoma polyps can develop to colorectal cancer. In fact, colorectal cancer can be developed only from Adenoma polyps. Since the MAGENTIQ-COLO™ increases the detection of adenoma polyps, it helps in cancer prevention.

Saurabh: What were the eligibility criteria for your study? How many volunteers were enrolled in it, and on what basis were they randomized?

Dror: The main inclusion criteria were, in the age between 18-90 years old, and only screening and surveillance procedure (not including positive FOBT tests). The study enrolled 952 patients. Randomization was between two main groups (with the system and without the system) and a portion of the patients in each group were also randomized to go through double colonoscopy, two successive colonoscopies, one immediately after the other.

Saurabh: What was the standard procedure for your CAD-assisted study?

Dror: Screening or surveillance colonoscopy procedure

Saurabh: What are the major outcomes of your study, and do these outcomes match your expectations?

Dror: Significant increase in the average number of detected adenomas per colonoscopy and in the percentage of patients with at least one detected adenoma per colonoscopy, and significant decrease in the number of missed adenomas. The outcomes even surpass our high expectations, which we had from the MAGENTIQ-COLO™.

Saurabh: Could you shed some light on the results of this study?

Dror: As said, it mainly means that the MAGENTIQ-COLO™ is effective in improving the detection of adenomatous polyps in the colonoscopy procedure, without excessive, unnecessary extractions and biopsies, and also without extending the procedure time.

Saurabh: How are you going to commercialize your screening technology? Are you looking for more funding?

Dror: We are increasing our salesforce mainly in the Europe and the U.S. to make the MAGENTIQ-COLO™ widespread in these continents. We are well-funded, by venture capitalists, corporations, and big angel investors.

Image Source: Canva

About the Author:

Dror Zur

Dror Zur, Ph.D. is the CEO and founder of Magentiq Eye Ltd. Dror has served in key and managerial roles in the medical device industry, with focus on business strategy, commercialization, artificial intelligence and R&D. In addition, Dror served as a lecturer in academic scientific studies, and in technological roles in the defence industry.