About Augere
An introduction to Augere and our main principles.
Clinical background
CRC is one of the most common types of cancer, and it is well-documented in several randomized clinical trials that detection and removal of polyps reduce the risk of development of and death from CRC. It is also well-known that many polyps are missed in the examination process, increasing the risk of interval cancer and post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer. Approximately 5 000 patients are diagnosed with CRC in Norway each year, with nearly 1 500 losing their lives annually. The average treatment cost per patient in Norway is NOK 500 000 (~USD 45 000).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.14 million patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022, with 538 000 losing their lives as a result. These numbers are expected to grow with around 70% until 2040. Given these high numbers, it is necessary to implement measures that can detect CRC early through mass screening.
Mass screening for CRC is an accepted method used in healthy individuals with no symptoms of the disease. Norway introduced a CRC screening program in 2017 which was deemed necessary as Norway is one of the countries in Europe with the highest number of CRC patients per capita. Similar screening programs have been implemented in the Nordic countries, recommended by the EU9, and also implemented in Japan and the USA.
One possible tool for improving the polyp detection rate is to use artificial intelligence (AI) as a decision support tool during CRC screening. In recent years, several AI systems have been launched, and these technologies are continually evolving, with a significant increase in the number of publications and presentations. Augere’s literature search, as part of our regulatory Clinical Evaluation Report (CER), shows that a large proportion (29/42 – 69%) of relevant publications document a statistically significant increase in polyp detection rates with the use of AI-based systems.
History
Back in 2014, Prof. Michael Riegler (Simula Research Laboratory) reached out to Dr. Thomas de Lange (Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Bærum, Norway), a well-known Norwegian gastroenterologist, with the idea of developing an AI solution for colon cancer screening. This “meeting of the minds” was the basis for the incorporation of Augere Medical four years later.
And this is part of Augere’s DNA: we will compete with large corporations by being close to our customers and provide fast and meaningful product iterations. The company has developed the AI platform PolypAID™, which has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting polyps, including adenomas and sessile serrated polyps. The process of development and verification has been carried out in collaboration with Oslo University Hospital and Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. Additionally, the team has conducted a usability study in the clinic, confirming that the system is user-friendly and meets the regulatory user requirements in Europe for this type of system.
Augere Medical has spent over five years developing an AI-based solution based on the research of Simula, the Norwegian hospitals, and in collaboration with Sahlgrenska in Gothenburg. A significant part of this work involved recording and annotation of 942 patients, as well as independent assessment of the intestinal wall with and without polyps. The meticulous annotation of over 2 million image frames has provided Augere Medical with a very solid machine learning (ML) training and evaluation database, which is the core of the PolypAID™ system. After testing Augere’s AI solution against similar systems, we have documented that the system has higher accuracy and significantly fewer false positives1.
1. A comparative study benchmarking colon polyp detection with CADe software N. Papachrysos, P. H. Smedsrud, K. Anonsen, T. J. Berstad, H. Espeland, A. Petlund, P. Hedenström, P. Halvorsen, J. Varkey, H. Hammer, M. Riegler, T. de Lange Endoscopy 2024; 56(S 02): S92-S93 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1782889.
Mission, vision and values
Our Mission:
Making lives better
We exist to make a meaningful impact in healthcare by leveraging AI to enhance diagnosis, improve outcomes, and reduce the global burden of gastrointestinal diseases.
Vision
Augere will, through partnerships with the world's leading clinical and technical research environments, develop a platform for AI-based systems that improve the detection rate and characterization of cancer and precancerous abnormalities and thereby reduce the burden on patients and the cost of cancer treatment.
Values
We pledge to implement transparent AI to physicians and patients through:
Quality
We deliver high quality products through focus on details and by meeting customer expectations.
Innovation
We are at the forefront of the technology development by embracing continuous improvements and investing in our employees.
Care
We care about the patients who will benefit from our technologies and put real heart into our promises to our investors and customers.
Agility
We move fast and are willing to adapt to changing market conditions regardless of the size of the company.
Delivering results
We have grit to deliver results by defining clear objectives and by meeting deadlines and fulfilling expectations.
An introduction to who we are and what we do
