Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) said on Tuesday that it has entered into a partnership with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to leverage the technology group’s artificial intelligence–powered radiology platform to accelerate the early detection of lung cancer.
Under the agreement, U.S. Food and Drug Administration–cleared radiology AI algorithms will be rolled out via Microsoft’s Precision Imaging Network. The platform analyzes X-ray and CT scans to help detect lung disease and is already in use at hospitals across the United States, the companies said.
Bristol Myers noted that the AI tools are designed to support clinicians in identifying lung nodules that are difficult to detect and in flagging certain patients at earlier stages of the disease, when treatment outcomes may be improved.
A central objective of the collaboration is to broaden access to early lung cancer detection in medically underserved areas, including rural hospitals and community-based clinics throughout the U.S., according to the drugmaker.
“By combining Microsoft’s highly scalable radiology solutions with Bristol’s deep expertise in oncology and drug delivery, we have envisioned a unique AI-enabled workflow that helps clinicians quickly and accurately identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer and guide them to optimal care pathways and precision therapies,” said Alexandra Goncalves, vice president and head of digital health at Bristol Myers Squibb.
The partnership reflects a broader trend in the pharmaceutical industry, where companies are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to speed up research and development, with the aim of improving efficiency across drug discovery and clinical pipelines.
Just last week, AstraZeneca said it had agreed to acquire Boston-based Modella AI to help accelerate oncology drug research.