Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center has entered a research partnership with SpotitEarly, a startup that combines AI and canine scent detection to analyze breath samples for early cancer detection.
Under the partnership, Fox Chase will lead a multi-year clinical trial to evaluate the company’s breath-based test in patients undergoing evaluation for suspected lung cancer. SpotitEarly is also allocating a portion of its equity to Fox Chase. The platform pairs canine scent detection with AI to monitor canine behavioral and physiological responses to exhaled breath, translating them into standardized signals that may indicate cancer.
In the future, the partnership could be expanded to include other cancer types, the companies said in a Jan. 22 news release.
“SpotitEarly brings an unconventional yet scientifically promising approach to early detection, and we see tremendous potential in their innovative product and technology when combined with our robust clinical expertise,” Sangeeta Bardhan Cook, PhD, chief innovation officer at Fox Chase, said in a news release. “Together, we will open new doors to earlier diagnoses and, ultimately, better outcomes for patients.”
In October, SpotitEarly reached a similar agreement with Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health.
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