In an effort to unlock the potential of precision medicine, one of the largest health systems in the country is collaborating with an analytics company.
Altamonte Springs, Florida-based AdventHealth announced Tuesday that it is partnering with Sema4 to launch a data-driven precision medicine program.
The collaboration will center on the structuring and curation of genomic and clinical data, said Glenn Farrell, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of research strategy at Stamford, Connecticut-based Sema4, in an email. The organizations will leverage the data to glean new research insights and support a range of clinical initiatives.
Sema4 will use Centrellis, its data analysis platform, to build on AdventHealth’s existing genomics and personalized health program, Farrell said. The platform will apply artificial intelligence tools to structure and integrate patient information with molecular testing data, enabling the development of a data set and models that predict disease progression and response to treatments.
“This technology and collaboration will allow us to interpret vast amounts of clinical, genomic and other patient data to discover and provide lifesaving treatments to patients who previously would not have had those options,” said Dr. Steven R. Smith, chief scientific officer for AdventHealth, in a news release.
Initially, the partnership will focus on bolstering AdventHealth’s efforts with its WholeMe program, a DNA study the health system launched in Florida. The study’s main goal is to identify changes in patient behavior when they receive genomic insights about their health.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
AdventHealth and Sema4 are also looking into reproductive health and hereditary cancer as potential areas of focus for the partnership, Farrell said.
The precision medicine program marks the first time AdventHealth and Sema4 are partnering.
“AdventHealth is a premier health system, which is aligned to our view that genomics and personalized medicine are critical for optimal health outcomes,” Farrell said. “Throughout our conversations with AdventHealth, we have been impressed by its longstanding and strong commitment to genomics, precision medicine, and personalizing healthcare for its patients.”
The program will first be launched within AdventHealth’s Orlando area network, which includes more than 20 hospitals and emergency departments. It will then be expanded to other facilities within the health system’s 50-hospital network.
Interest in data-focused personalized medicine programs appears to be growing among providers. The partnership with AdventHealth is the second such collaboration Sema4 has entered into in the span of about one month. In April, the company partnered with Evanston, Illinois-based NorthShore University HealthSystem to launch a genomic program.
Photo: iLexx, Getty Images
