Artificial intelligence for automated, standardised interpretation of DNA testing results

Project Information

FastFinder

Grant agreement ID: 775709

DOI

10.3030/775709

Project closed

EC signature date 15 May 2017

Start date 1 June 2017

End date 30 November 2017

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

UGENTEC NV
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FastFinder (Artificial intelligence for automated, standardised interpretation of DNA testing results)

Reporting period: 2017-06-01 to 2017-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

UgenTec’s (Belgium, 2014) FastFinder technology was developed for automatic, fast, objective and accurate processing and interpretation of high troughput qPCR testing results, the only part of the DNA analysis workflow that is currently not routinely automated. UgenTec aims to achieve successful worldwide market introduction of FastFinder by 2019 and to reach a significant market share in the niche market of PCR analysis software by 2023. UgenTec will deploy FastFinder along 3 focus areas:
1. deepening market adoption in clinical diagnostics, both inside and outside the EU;
2. enter “new” market segments, including agribio, animal health, food safety and quality;
3. commercialise proprietary middleware to automate the entire DNA analysis workflow in a single software.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

UgenTec conducted a market, technological and economic feasibility study. To obtain full scale commercialisation and market uptake, additional efforts are needed:
• additional modules for FastFinder:
o to accelerate development and validation of new analyses
o to enable genetic analysis, on top of PCR analysis
o middleware to automate the entire workflow in a single software
o On-premise and server-side solutions to enable FastFinder operation outside of the cloud.
• To demonstrate ROI in new market segments, pilot studies will be conducted with early adopter clients.
• Obtain FDA approval for US market entry. Validate regulatory compliance in new market segments through pilot studies.
• Finalisation of go-to-market strategy, including pricing strategies per market segment. Strong FTE growth and reorganisation is needed in the commercial department.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Public health expenditure in the EU is rising, projected at 8.5% of GDP in 2060, driven by an ageing population and associated rise in chronic diseases and the promotion of personalised healthcare, demanding molecular information. There is a clear market pull for automated solutions: as genetic testing volumes are growing every year and quality standards become stricter, the lab budgets are coming under pressure. UgenTec has developed the FastFinder software platform, advancing state of the art artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to automate the interpretation of results in the genetic testing workflow. FastFinder USP allows interpretation 30 times faster than manual interpretation and removes human errors. Platform application potential extends beyond a clinical setting (e.g. pharma, food safety) boosting commercial gain.

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