HepaVue Awarded By FIT

HepaVue created the world’s first virtual reality liver biopsy to diagnose liver disease. The CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan granted by the Foundation pour l’Innovation Technologique (FIT) will enable the start-up to finalise its artificial intelligence software and begin production of its radiotracers.

Worldwide, more than 2 billion people are affected by chronic, asymptomatic liver disease, and hundreds of millions of them develop a progressive inflammatory form. To determine whether the disease is progressive, needle biopsy of the liver is the only option available today. It is an invasive and costly procedure that presents numerous risks for the patient: pain, sampling limited to a small portion of the liver, risks of haemorrhage and potential mortality are all drawbacks that hamper early diagnosis. As a result, up to 70% of cases of progressive liver disease go undetected until the final stage, cirrhosis.

HepaVue has developed a revolutionary alternative: the first virtual liver biopsy. This innovative technology is based on the use of proprietary radiotracers and the analysis of medical images assisted by artificial intelligence, developed in part at EPFL.

HepaVue’s technology is painless and non-invasive, ensuring optimum patient comfort and enhanced safety. It enables large-scale diagnosis of progressive liver diseases and, by detecting these pathologies early, HepaVue could considerably reduce cases of liver cancer, the need for transplants and deaths linked to complications of cirrhosis. Thanks to this examination, doctors will be able to implement appropriate treatments without having to resort to traditional liver biopsies.

Source: FIT