Australian healthcare technology and services company Resonance Health (ASX:RHT) reports it has lodged a provisional patent application in relation to an invention for the detection and assessment of fibrosis in the liver and other organs, utilising non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The company says it has completed an initial proof-of-concept study of an analysis technique aimed at the identification and assessment of liver fibrosis. This initial proof-of-concept forms the basis of the intervention that is the subject of the patent application.
Resonance states this initial study was conducted on a patient and control group of 30 subjects and indicates a strong capability to predict the absolute presence of liver fibrosis within the study population.
Based on the ‘extremely’ promising initial proof-of-concept results, Resonance is now undertaking an accelerated extended proof-of-concept study with an expanded study population.
The objectives of this program are to confirm the results of the initial study, as well as further refining the study predictive models. It will also further assess the performance of predictive models and their capacity to distinguish between differing fibrosis grades.
Resonance expects the duration of the extended proof-of-concept to be 6 months to a year, and the company reports it is actively engaged with study partners to secure the study subjects required for the study.
Subject to the outcomes of the extended proof-of-concept study, Resonance intends to explore collaboration opportunities with large pharmaceutical companies and clinical key opinion leaders (KOLs), who have expressed strong interest in the results of the initial proof-of-concept and a desire to participate in such a collaboration.
Resonance reports liver disease is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and incorporates a wide-range of diseases including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It is estimated liver disease affects 1 quarter of the world’s population.
The company also says liver fibrosis is largely reversible in early detection, which is essential to managing the disease. The most effective diagnostic procedure currently available for liver fibrosis is a biopsy which is invasive and can have significant side effects including pain, bleeding, infection, hospitalisation and death.
Current non-invasive techniques include blood-tests, ultrasounds, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) methods and quantitative MRI methods. However, Resonance states there are a number of unresolved issues in relation to the accurate and reliable detection of fibrosis using this method.
Resonance Health is an Australian heathcare technology and services company that produces a number software-as-medical-devices (SaMDs) which incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) for a range of liver and heart problems.
Its products include FerriScan, FerriSmart, HepaFat-Scan, HepaFat-AI, LiverSmart and CardiacT2.
