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Valar Labs debuts AI-powered cancer care prediction tool and secures $22M | TechCrunch

May 30, 2024 - techcrunch.com
Biotech startup Valar Labs has raised $22 million to expand its AI tool that predicts treatment outcomes in cancer patients, starting with bladder cancer. The tool, named Vesta, uses a visual AI trained on thousands of histology images from cancer patients to extract features that can help predict a patient's response to certain therapies. The company claims their AI models outperform traditional variables such as age and health history in predictive power, and are independent of them, meaning they can be used in addition to standard risk factors.

Valar Labs was founded in 2022 and has spent much of its time developing the image model and its first clinical model for bladder cancer patients. The recent funding will be used to commercialize Vesta and expand to other types of cancer. The company plans to use a commercial lab model similar to genomic testing, which they hope will lower the cost of care by avoiding unnecessary and ineffective treatments.

Key takeaways:

  • Biotech startup Valar Labs has developed a tool that uses AI to predict certain treatment outcomes in cancer patients, potentially saving valuable time and resources.
  • The company's first test, Vesta, focuses on bladder cancer treatment and was developed in collaboration with a dozen medical centers worldwide, studying over 1,000 patients.
  • Valar Labs has closed a $22 million Series A funding round led by DCVC and Andreessen Horowitz, which will be used to commercialize Vesta and expand to other types of cancer.
  • The company's model uses AI to analyze histology images from cancer patients, extracting features that can help predict how a patient will respond to a particular treatment, thus aiding in clinical decision-making.
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