South Korean AI company Lunit has tied up with its investor, Guardant Health, for AI integration.

Under the partnership, Lunit will integrate its PD-L1 scoring algorithm into Guardant's cancer biomarker detection workflow in the Guardant360 TissueNextTM PD-L1 test for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Lunit SCOPE PD-L1, a CE-marked AI solution, detects and analyses PD-L1, a type of cancer biomarker. 

WHY IT MATTERS

The Lunit SCOPE PD-L1 does AI-based quantification of tissue samples using a scoring system. Integrating it with the Guardant test will enhance biomarker assessment for NSCLC patients, the company claimed in a press statement. The AI has helped lift the test's detection of PD-L1 by over 20% compared to manual pathologist interpretation. 

THE LARGER TREND

In 2021, Guardant Health backed Lunit's Series C Tranche B funding round with a $26 million investment. The company previously said that it expects its investment in the company to be used in developing new precision oncology products that improve cancer care.

On Thursday, Guardant Health formally introduced Guardant Galaxy, its suite of analytical technologies developed internally and through outside partnerships. The Guardant360 TissueNext PD-L1 test integrated with Lunit SCOPE PD-L1 is the first application in this line. 

In other related news, Lunit opened the new year with a three-year deal to supply its AI chest x-ray image analysis software, Lunit INSIGHT CXR, to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, one of the biggest hospitals in Brazil.

ON THE RECORD

"The digital pathology solution from Lunit has already demonstrated the power of AI to help improve [the] detection of PD-L1 in certain cases of NSCLC. We believe it has the potential to contribute much more broadly to advances in identifying cancer biomarkers and informing treatment decisions," Guardant Health co-CEO Helmy Eltoukhy said about Lunit's AI solution.

"The development of the AI-supported scoring algorithm for the Guardant360 TissueNext PD-L1 test is a great example of using advanced medical image analytics to enhance precision diagnostics in lung cancer and help doctors find the right treatment for the right patients," Lunit CEO Brandon Suh also commented.