Questions arise with any significant diagnosis, but perhaps no newly identified disease brings more questions from patients and families alike than cancer.
To help cancer patients personalized answers about treatment options and other aspects of grappling with cancer, Innoplexus, a Germany-based AI innovator, recently unveiled its CURIA app that has been launched across Europe over the past year and, most recently, in India, where it has gained more than 70,000 active users since its release there in April.
According to an article at The India Express, the app uses AI to scour the internet for updates to registries, drug approval sites, and clinical trial databases. Patients registered with the application answer a questionnaire about their cancer type, stage and demographics, and from then they receive information about treatments, clinical trials and experts tailored to their oncological profile.
“When my best friend and mentor was diagnosed with cancer, we went through his treatment journey and had questions,” Dr. Gunjan Bhardwaj, the company’s founder and CEO, told the writer. “We searched for answers online and here it became all too clear that this information is not easy to find. This is the experience of millions of people diagnosed with cancer. We founded Innoplexus, an AI company, driving drug discovery together with pharma companies and biotechs in 2015. Out of this came CURIA, an app which helps them navigate their cancer journey.”
According to the article, the app’s information is constantly reviewed by a team of experts before it is provided to patients, and physicians can also get a broad overview of available clinical trials for their patients with inclusion and exclusion criteria.
“All patients should have access to the information they need to make decisions together with their doctor,” said Amit Ananpara, Innoplexus India co-MD, based in Pune. “But like many illnesses, cancer is still considered a taboo in India, which makes it difficult for patients and their families to get access to authentic information and care. According to one study, 70 per cent of cancer patients are dissatisfied with the information they receive.”
Cancer cases in India and globally are on the rise and there are continuous innovations in cancer treatments and innovative clinical trials, he added. “For the medical fraternity, the advancements move so fast, it is difficult to keep up with who is running the most innovative trials, where, and what the latest treatments are. Tools such as CURIA are important to ensure oncologists are open to discussing patients’ options with them.”
Currently available in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian, the app will soon be available in more regional languages in India, said Ananpara.
Photo by Daisy-Daisy/Getty Images