LAS VEGAS — Ainnova Tech, Inc. has entered into a new partnership with Roche, a global biotechnology company, and Salud 360, a pre-paid health plan provider, to work toward combatting diabetic retinopathy. The partnership will utilize Ainnova’s latest technology to bring early screening methods to more patients around the world.
The pilot program will initially be implemented in Costa Rica, where diabetes affects about 10.4% of the adult population.1 If successful, Ainnova, and its new partner Avant Technologies, intend to implement a similar program in the United States, Canada, and Europe through Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), the company formed by the partnership between Avant and Ainnova.
According to data from the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health (Inciensa), uncontrolled diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the country’s adult population. To make matters worse, between 20% and 40% of diabetic patients develop diabetic retinopathy, a silent but devastating condition if not detected and treated in time.
According to the World Health Organization, 80% of cases of blindness due to diabetes are preventable with early and effective interventions.2 Therefore, early detection is crucial and technological innovation can help make a huge difference.
Roche, Ainnova, and Salud 360 signed a strategic alliance to improve access to vision screening in patients with uncontrolled diabetes with the hope of decreasing the risks of diabetic retinopathy using Ainnova’s advanced technology and a patient-centered approach.
The pilot program will use non-mydriatic fundus cameras and artificial intelligence — developed by Ainnova Tech — to automatically analyze retinal images and identify microscopic changes in the retina. Such changes would be an early indicator of diabetic retinopathy without the need for invasive tests.
“At Roche, we are committed to timely diagnosis of diseases to improve clinical outcomes and thus contribute to the sustainability of the health care system. By leveraging technology, we seek to improve lives, optimize diagnoses, and ensure that every patient has access to timely and effective treatment. With this model, we not only seek to address the problem of diabetic retinopathy, but also to establish a replicable path for other diseases that require innovative solutions,” said Alvaro Soto, General Manager of Roche Central America, Caribbean, and Venezuela.
By implementing the pilot program in Costa Rica, this strategic alliance can take advantage of the country’s robust health care system and its focus on technological innovation. Patients who are members of Salud 360 will be the first to benefit from screenings at affiliated clinics. Those at risk will be referred immediately to ophthalmology specialists, guaranteeing comprehensive and timely care.
Vinicio Vargas, Chief Executive Officer of Ainnova Tech and member of AAC’s Board of Directors, emphasized, “We are proud to be able to put our technology at the service of a project that has the potential to prove itself as a massive impact model in early detection, and which we believe is replicable globally. Today, we are starting with diabetic retinopathy, but the vision is that we can eventually multiply this same effort for other critical diseases that require innovative solutions.”
References
2 https://www.who.int/es/
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