Viviphi And Avera Health Confirm Clinical Validation And System-Wide Implementation Of The Precisionplan Cognitive Computing Platform

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viviphi Ltd (Greenwood Village, CO) and Avera Health (Sioux Falls, SD) announced today that the PrecisionPlan™ platform will be fully implemented across the multi-state cancer system. The platform was developed through a clinical collaboration in precision medicine between the two organizations. PrecisionPlan™ is a cognitive computing platform that generates comprehensive, actionable and patient-specific treatment plans in a matter of seconds. The artificial intelligence solution combines patient-specific diagnostic, surgical and demographic data from the electronic medical record (EMR) with genomic and tumor sequencing information to generate personalized treatment plans that comply with nationally respected evidence and the latest clinical guidance in precision medicine.

The strategic collaboration was formed in 2016 and has combined Avera’s clinical rules in genomic-based precision medicine and Viviphi’s state-of-the-art cognitive computing platform in oncology. Fred Ashbury, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Viviphi, noted that genomic science has opened up a whole new way to think about treating cancers, using targeted therapies and immunotherapies designed to attack the actual drivers of cancer. “These innovative therapies are now significantly improving the odds of survival for many cancer patients who were otherwise compelled to receive multiple lines of treatment using standard of care with substantially greater cost, decreasing chances of success with each line of therapy, increased side effects and poorer quality of life.” Avera is one of a handful of world leaders generating evidence-based knowledge through their practical application of genomic-based precision medicine for cancer patients.

Avera will be the first health system in the world to action patient data through the Viviphi PrecisionPlan™ platform. Implementation and training will occur late in 2017. The platform was validated in clinic and through the Avera Molecular Tumor Board in February through April of this year. Other leading NCI Cancer Centers in the USA are now contracting with Viviphi and preparing for implementation in their oncology networks.

Current standards of care follow a one-size-fits-all or population health approach to treatment. Existing chemotherapies do not focus on the specific drivers of the individual’s cancer and while they can destroy cancer cells, they can destroy healthy cells too, leading to a lengthier and more expensive recovery. Standard treatments for cancer are not personalized to the patient’s individual circumstances. Precision oncology offers personalized cancer therapies to patients, based on their individual genomic profile. It has been demonstrated that oncology practices that embrace both the best of genomic science and existing nationally-accepted standards of care achieve better outcomes for their patients.

The absence, however, of codified clinical rules in precision medicine in oncology has left many clinicians without practical support and access to the latest knowledge and experts in this dynamic and rapidly evolving field of practice. These new diagnostic and treatment interventions come at a considerable cost, and health insurers, hospital leaders, and government payers are requiring that local practicing clinicians demonstrate competence in molecular oncology before ordering expensive next-generation tumor sequencing tests and prescribing many of the new and highly effective targeted therapies, combination treatments, and immunotherapies.

Avera is an active member of the recognized Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) Consortium in personalized medicine, which is committed to rapidly translating genomic tailored discoveries into standards of care worldwide. Dr. Brian Leyland-Jones, along with his team, has established a next-generation tumor sequencing laboratory as part of the Avera Cancer Institute.

Gerry Hogue, President and CEO of Viviphi, highlighted key differentiators of the platform. “PrecisionPlan™ quite literally puts a virtual peer-to-peer consult in the hands of busy oncologists. Oncologists are able to accelerate decision-making, improve clinical throughput and efficiency, make better and more appropriate decisions at the individual patient level.”

The PrecisionPlan™ platform is also completely embeddable within the health institution’s EMR, further streamlining efficiencies.

Dr. David Kapaska, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, commented on the drivers of the relationship with Viviphi. “Our mission is to make a positive impact in the lives and health of persons and communities by providing quality services guided by Christian values. As such we feel it is our obligation to share our knowledge and success in the cancer space with physicians, care teams and patients battling this disease. This fundamental belief is what drives our commitment to our collaboration with Viviphi. It is our desire to help as many cancer patients and their families as much as possible and we feel our relationship with Viviphi will help us accomplish this.”

About Viviphi

Viviphi is a leading provider of precision medicine solutions for cancer therapy. Using gathered data from electronic medical records and lab systems combined with patient-specific genomic information, the PrecisionPlan™ cognitive computing platform generates comprehensive, actionable and patient-specific treatment plans to accelerate clinical decision making and advance cancer care. Viviphi also offers a patient app, GenomePlan™, currently available in the Apple App Store and via an online patient portal, to help cancer patients learn more about their treatment options and to help guide discussions with physicians. Viviphi is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. To learn more, visit www.viviphicare.com.