Prostate cancer is projected to affect one out of every eight men, according to the American Cancer Society. The organization also predicts 288,300 new cases of the condition will arise this year. Operating an artificial intelligence-powered solution, Artera works to ensure each of these patients receives the care they need.
Artera launched out of stealth on Tuesday with $90 million in funding for its prostate cancer test solution. The company uses AI to help clinicians predict patient outcomes and develop personalized treatments.
Artera’s recent capital comes from investors including firms like Coatue and Johnson & Johnson Innovation as well as angels such as co-CEO of Salesforce Mark Benioff and Jim Breyer of Breyer Capital.
ArteraAI Prostate Test is Artera’s flagship offering. The tool is used to help determine what therapies will prove most effective in prostate cancer, particularly in localized cases where the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the region it started.
The company’s prostate cancer test hinges upon its multimodal AI prognostic biomarker to make predictions. This algorithm uses imagery from a patient’s biopsy and learns from clinical data, according to the company. The AI tool fuses these two streams of information to predict a patient’s most plausible prognosis. It also predicts how that patient might respond to a particular treatment, like hormone therapy, Andre Esteva, co-founder and CEO of Artera, told Built In via email.
With its fresh capital, Artera plans to expand access to its prostate cancer test to clinicians across the globe. Currently, the solution is available through a clinical lab in Florida and online through Artera’s website.
Esteva said Artera’s next plan is to optimize the prostate cancer test and apply it to other types of cancers.
“One of the greatest strengths in our AI is that it is easily translated into other disease areas. Although our full focus up until this point has been localized prostate cancer, we soon plan to optimize the tests so that it can be applied to other types of cancer as well,” Esteva said.
As Artera continues to grow, Esteva said he anticipates the impact Artera’s tech will have on patients and the company’s opportunity to substantially improve patients’ outcomes and livelihood.
