A systems biology-informed machine learning framework to predict drug response using clinically available NGS data

Zephyr AI, Inc. (“Zephyr AI”), a company building novel transparent AI to address unmet needs across the full spectrum of precision medicine – from prevention to treatment to improve patients’ lives announced today a poster presentation at the upcoming American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 2-6 in Chicago.

Tremendous progress has been achieved in recent years towards understanding the molecular underpinnings of cancer and has ushered in an era of precision medicine. Today, actionable biomarkers inform rational design of novel drugs, repurposing of existing medications, or new combination therapies. However, less than 20% of cancer patients are currently benefiting from these targeted therapies. There is therefore an acute need for new methods to identify the expanded population of patients who could benefit from existing drugs and improve patient selection and design of clinical trials evaluating new or repurposed drugs.

Zephyr AI’s machine learning algorithms identify pharmacological sensitivities and genetic vulnerabilities that fall outside the current single nucleotide variants or proteins that are typically used to identify patients that would respond to targeted therapies. Zephyr AI’s algorithms generate interpretable drug response predictions from real-world data (RWD) which are then validated with proven models.

Leveraging Zephyr AI’s Vulnerability Network^TM Methodology, the poster will highlight the use of Zephyr AI’s systems biology informed machine learning framework, along with RWD from multiple tumor types, to identify the common genetic vulnerabilities in patients treated with an approved 3^rd generation EGFR inhibitor. Using their Vulnerability Network^TM Methodology, Zephyr AI was able to identify which patients would respond, even though they didn’t have the EGFR mutations listed in the drug’s label.

“Our goal is to enable more cancer patients to receive the benefits of precision medicine, especially those groups that are unrepresented in previous clinical trials,” said Zephyr AI CEO David L. Morgan II.

The company believes that their machine learning technology could be used in the future for drug target discovery, preclinical experiment optimization, candidate selection, patient enrollment, and post market label updates. Zephyr AI will partner with pharmaceutical companies and clinicians to use its advanced analytics to clean and interpret their existing data as well as layer in additional RWD and evidence.

About Zephyr AI

Zephyr AI is a high-growth healthcare technology company committed to radically reshaping traditional approaches to precision medicine. Through partnerships and proprietary data, Zephyr AI is curating the world’s most comprehensive healthcare dataset and marrying it with cutting-edge artificial intelligence algorithms to generate novel, translatable insights to build tools and products that support patients and providers and fuel ongoing research. At Zephyr AI, our mission-focused team of world-class software engineers and biologists leverage big data and next-generation technology to derive transformational insights and build enduring partnerships that will revolutionize the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. Visit us at www.zephyrai.bio and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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