Oxford-based Tech Business Joins Forces With Leading Global Drug Company to Help Save Stroke Victims
OXFORD, England, May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
An ambitious collaboration between Brainomix, an emerging British business, and Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's largest drug companies, is poised to expedite and improve treatment of stroke, the second biggest killer disease in Europe.
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The Brainomix team, based in Oxford, has pioneered the rapid digital analysis of scans of patients admitted to hospital with stroke. With the potential to save vital time for stroke victims, the e-ASPECTS software acts as a standardised and rapid second-opinion tool that assists physicians on site to choose an appropriate treatment based on the magnitude and nature of the brain damage.
Stroke is the biggest cause of disability and a primary cause of death, in Europe killing 650,000 people every year. The highest risk of stroke is in people over 65, but the chances of brain damage double each decade after the age of 55. Many deaths arising from stroke are preventable, and disability can be reduced if medical intervention is timely. Currently, few hospitals in Europe have specialist stroke centers, and even fewer hospitals have the specialist skills necessary to assess scans that can rapidly reveal the extent of damage caused by stroke to a patient and determine the best course of treatment in a very time-sensitive environment.
The Brainomix software has been selected by Boehringer Ingelheim as part of a break-through pan-European collaboration called the Angels Initiative, a unique healthcare initiative launched by the European Stroke Organisation and Boehringer Ingelheim, which aims to improve acute stroke care in Europe by building a community of over 1,500 stroke centers. This collaboration brings together two areas of medical expertise in a battle to limit disability and death caused by stroke.
"We share a common vision to improve early diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients globally," said Dr Georg van Husen, Senior Vice President, Therapeutic Area CardioMetabolism, Boehringer Ingelheim. "Imaging is a vital part of stroke diagnosis and treatment decision-making. We are very pleased to collaborate with Brainomix to make the validated e-ASPECTS software available as part of the Angels Initiative."
As part of the Angels Initiative, Brainomix is offering six-months' free use of its e-ASPECTS software to hospitals enrolled in the program. Hospitals in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain have already signed up to take advantage of the Brainomix offer. The e-ASPECTS software is already assisting stroke centres in many countries including the UK, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Germany and Sweden. e-ASPECTS uses artificial intelligence to automatically apply the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) method that clinicians use to assess damage to the brain on plain CT scans.
Brainomix CEO and co-founder, Dr Michalis Papadakis said, "We are honoured to be part of this initiative and to partner with two of the most prominent organisations in our field. Working to improve care across the board is of vital importance. We are excited that hospitals are enthusiastic about implementing e-ASPECTS as a tool to improve the efficiency of stroke treatments in countries that are now developing stroke centers."
Brainomix co-founder Alastair Buchan, Professor of Stroke Medicine at the University of Oxford, and inventor of the ASPECTS score, explained, "The ASPECTS method has proven to be very effective in making stroke treatment decisions The e-ASPECTS software will provide vital decision making support for hospitals in the Angels Initiative, thereby helping to ensure the right treatment is given to the right patients."
Interested hospitals and clinicians can obtain more information and become part of the Angels Initiative at
https://angels-initiative.com/
Notes to Editor
About Brainomix
Brainomix Limited, a medical diagnostics software company, was founded in 2010 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford and is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with neurological and cerebrovascular disorders. Brainomix is currently focusing on acute stroke. By developing and equipping physicians with world-class medical imaging software, Brainomix aims to help them in making life-saving treatment decisions by supporting the selection of the right treatment for the right stroke patient.
e-ASPECTS
Brainomix flagship product, e-ASPECTS, is a clinical decision-making support software for use with acute stroke patients. This innovative technology automatically implements the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) clinical scoring methodology, to assist clinicians in the timely identification of patients eligible for life-saving treatment.
https://www.brainomix.com/e-aspects
Learn more about the ASPECTS clinical scoring methodology
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