Altru Health System Strengthens Clinical Trial Offering by Adopting Deep Lens’ Novel AI-Matching Solution, VIPER™

VIPER™ will identify and match eligible patients to oncology clinical trials faster and with improved efficiencies across Altru Health System’s network

COLUMBUS, Ohio & GRAND FORKS, N.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Deep Lens and Altru Health System today announced a strategic collaboration that will deploy artificial-intelligence (AI)-based clinical trial matching solution, VIPER, into the Altru Health System network. VIPER uses proprietary cloud-based technology to facilitate, triage and accelerate the enrollment of patients in the clinical trial recruitment process. VIPER is designed to improve efficiencies through automated screening and data management, which will present Altru with increased opportunities to participate in new precision medicine trials.

“Nearly half the population in North Dakota lives in a rural community, where awareness of and access to clinical trials are often lower than in larger metropolitan or urban areas,” said Ashlee Dagoberg, Research Program Supervisor at Altru Health System. “The incorporation of VIPER into our network will help ensure that all cancer patients -- across our network, in diverse geographical areas -- have access to any and all clinical trials for which they may be eligible. VIPER will not only assist in expanding patient access to trials, but the relationship with Deep Lens will allow us to broaden our clinical research program. They will bring new sponsored trials to our system which in turn will allow our patients to participate in more precision medicine studies involving emerging new therapies.”

It is estimated that more than 15,000 oncology clinical trials are actively recruiting patients; yet participation in these trials is often as low as three percent. Certain barriers to enrollment -- including limited study site capacity and narrow trial eligibility requirements -- have been well documented; however, the percentage of patient participation in these trials has not increased significantly over time. The global pandemic has magnified these challenges. VIPER automates the clinical trial screening process and seamlessly matches patients -- at the time of diagnosis -- to appropriate trials through the ingestion and analysis of customized genomic data, electronic medical records and pathology data.

Deep Lens’ VIPER will be integrating directly into the Altru Health System’s electronic medical record (EPIC), molecular data feeds (Foundation Medicine, Myriad Genetics, Tempus, Guardant360) and pathology system (EPIC Beaker) to automatically identify qualified patients for clinical trials. Like Altru Health System, any EPIC practice can be easily integrated and can utilize VIPER and the Deep Lens screening services free of charge.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in North Dakota, which underscores the importance of clinical trial participation, so that more patients have the opportunity to receive promising new treatment options,” said Greg Andreola, chief revenue officer at Deep Lens. “Altru has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s of delivering superior, compassionate care to the people of North Dakota. We are delighted that they have chosen to embrace new technology like VIPER to help broaden the resources and exceptional care they offer to their patient communities.”

About Altru Health System

Based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Altru Health System is a physician-led, multispecialty group practice with an acute care hospital, Level II trauma center, specialty hospital, more than two dozen Grand Forks and regional practice locations, and a large home care network. Altru Health System was the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, extending Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise to the patients we serve. For more information, visit altru.org.

About Deep Lens

Deep Lens is a software company focused on a groundbreaking approach to faster recruitment of the best-suited cancer patients to clinical trials. VIPER, Deep Lens’ integrated cloud platform, provides care teams with visibility and workflows that combine lab, EMR, and genomic data to match cancer patients to clinical trials and precision therapies at the time of diagnosis, accelerating recruitment and compressing study timelines to bring game-changing therapies to market sooner. Growing with sponsors, providers, and strategic partners, Deep Lens challenges the status quo so that patients can get the best therapies. For more information, visit www.deeplens.ai.