Optellum, a leading innovator in artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging for lung cancer, has secured joint funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences’ (OLS) new £148 million cancer programme to conduct a study on the impact of its AI product on early diagnosis of lung cancer. In partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the AI product in relieving pressure on radiology departments and improving patient outcomes by enhancing diagnostic accuracy and supporting the early detection of cancers. The study will assess radiologists' ability to identify and characterise lung nodules (abnormal growth on the lung). Timely and accurate testing of lung nodules can help alleviate patient anxiety by ensuring prompt intervention and efficient use of NHS resources.

Professor Mike Lewis, Scientific Director for Innovation at NIHR, said: "Developing early diagnosis technologies that are closer to cancer patients is a key aim of this NIHR funding - the potential to find cancers earlier will give patients more choice of treatment and enable us to save lives in the future."

Addressing Challenges in Lung Cancer Care
Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer, with over 47,000 new cases and 35,000 deaths annually in the UK. Late diagnoses drive its high mortality rate, caused by the disease's tendency to remain asymptomatic until its advanced stages, lowering the chances of successful treatment.

To address this, Optellum's AI software assists radiologists in identifying and characterising lung nodules seen on CT scans, either as part of a lung cancer screening program or detected incidentally. The study will evaluate how Optellum's AI affects clinical judgment and helps prioritise cases while reducing unnecessary follow-ups.

Professor Andrew Scarsbrook, Consultant in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “The ability of Optellum’s AI software to effectively guide management recommendations for lung nodules at the point of detection could be a game changer, facilitating reduced time-to-diagnosis of early lung cancer and more efficient use of NHS resources.”

When deployed alongside Optellum's existing lung health product, Virtual Nodule Clinic, this AI will form part of an end-to-end platform, giving clinicians the right tools to identify, prioritize, and streamline patient care.

Aligning with NHS Goals.
The UK Government has announced that by 2029, the NHS will roll out lung health screening checks across the country. However, the additional resources required to achieve this goal are significant, particularly at a time when the NHS is facing intense pressure. AI technologies like Optellum's could help health systems "tilt towards technology" and achieve their goals without overburdening already stretched radiology and pulmonology departments.

Carlos Arteta, Head of Core Machine Learning at Optellum, added:
"This technology offers the NHS a pathway to achieving its long-term lung cancer screening goals without adding additional burdens to already overstretched radiology and pulmonology resources. By integrating AI into routine diagnostic workflows, we can help ensure that more patients receive earlier diagnoses and timely interventions."

To learn more about the study (NIHR207547), read the full press release:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-government-tech-deals-boost-the-business-of-cancer-detection
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/nihr-and-office-life-sciences-fund-new-projects-drive-earlier-diagnosis-cancer


About Optellum
Optellum is a commercial-stage lung health company providing AI-powered decision-support software that assists physicians in early diagnosis and optimal treatment for patients. The company was founded so that every lung disease patient could be diagnosed and treated at the earliest possible stage, when the probability of better health outcomes is highest.

Optellum is the leader in AI-enabled lung cancer diagnosis, and the first and only medtech company to have attained FDA 510(k) clearance, CE-MDR in the EU, and UKCA in the UK for its software platform, Virtual Nodule Clinic.
Optellum is located at the Oxford Centre for Innovation in Oxford, United Kingdom and in the US at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

About NIHR
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
• Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
• Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
• Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
• Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
• Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
• Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.

About Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in the UK, renowned for our enviable reputation in research and innovation. We are committed to advancing healthcare and improving patient outcomes through collaboration with academic institutions, industry partners, and healthcare organisations.

From April 2023 to March 2024, we delivered a diverse research portfolio. We recruited 25,695 participants to 760 active research studies and 22,113 participants to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio studies.

With over 25 dedicated research teams, five NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facilities and the Innovation Pop Up, we aim to be the best Trust to deliver high-quality clinical research and to champion research amongst our staff.