Researchers have developed MILTON, an AI tool that analyzes routine patient test data to predict early signs of over 1,000 diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and kidney disease, long before symptoms appear. AstraZeneca, which developed the tool, aims to accelerate early interventions and treatments. While MILTON shows “exceptional” predictive performance for 121 diseases, experts caution about its ethical use and potential misuse by insurers or employers without consent. Further work is needed before MILTON can be used clinically.
Author: Abhay Panchal
THD America, a Natick, Massachusetts-based medical device company, and its parent company have agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act. Between 2014 and 2017, the company allegedly caused colorectal and general surgeons to submit inflated reimbursement claims to Medicare and state Medicaid programs by encouraging the use of incorrect billing codes for its hemorrhoid removal system
Satisfai Health Inc., in collaboration with several partners including Alimentiv and Canadian universities, is receiving co-investment from DIGITAL to develop AI tools for Intestinal Ultrasound (IUS) in managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This AI tool, named Sonai, aims to improve the accuracy and accessibility of IUS, a non-invasive and cost-effective method used to assess IBD treatment responses. The initiative, supported by DIGITAL, is poised to enhance the application of AI in healthcare and revolutionize IBD management.
Lauren Feld, MD, assistant professor at UMass Chan Medical School, advocates for systematic, equitable parental leave policies in gastroenterology to alleviate gender disparities. Despite past surveys showing only 35% of training programs offering parental leave for all genders, Feld continues to push for structural changes to support both men and women. Her efforts, recognized by the 2024 Scrubs & Heels Break the Glass Ceiling Award, emphasize the importance of standardized family-friendly policies to foster a more inclusive, equitable work environment for all gastroenterologists.
Johnson & Johnson announced FDA approval of TREMFYA® (guselkumab) for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults. TREMFYA® is the first fully-human monoclonal antibody that blocks IL-23 and binds to CD64, showing significant improvements in UC symptoms and endoscopic healing. The approval is based on data from the QUASAR Phase 2b/3 study, which highlighted the drug’s efficacy in patients unresponsive to other treatments.
This virtual presentation discussed the increasing costs of gastrointestinal care and showcase Cleveland Clinic’s innovative strategy, including a partnership with Ayble, a new digital health provider.
Gastrointestinal Specialists of Troy, Michigan, has partnered with Oshi Health to enhance access to multidisciplinary care for patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. This collaboration aims to offer patients virtual access to comprehensive care teams, including dietitians, health coaches, and therapists, to manage conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The initiative focuses on improving care coordination and patient outcomes.
In this episode of the Innovation series, Dr. Parikh interviews Asaf Kraus, CEO and founder of Dieta Health. Dieta’s core application is to use artificial intelligence to monitor a patient’s bowel movements and improve digestive health.
A study at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrated that using an AI-based patient navigator called MyEleanor significantly improved colonoscopy completion rates among underserved communities. By re-engaging patients who previously missed appointments, the tool nearly doubled the completion rate from 10% to 19%. MyEleanor helped address common barriers like transportation and cost, while also freeing up time for human navigators. The program shows promise in reducing disparities in colorectal cancer screening and may extend to other cancer screenings in the future.
The battle against colorectal cancer (CRC) is evolving, and a new blood-based test using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) brings hope. But how well does it really perform compared to the gold-standard colonoscopy? While the test shows promise in detecting late-stage cancers, its struggle to identify early-stage tumors raises critical questions. With the stakes so high in catching CRC early, could this new test revolutionize screening, or is it just another tool in the arsenal?