바이오스펙테이터

바이오스펙테이터 Jongwon jang 기자

Professor Choi Chang-min (Asan Medical Center) founded PROCURATIO... “App+AI” Enabled Efficiency Improvement and Cost Reduction for Clinical Trials…

Korea has attained high rank for the first time, by being ranked as the 6th (3.5 %) host of the total global clinical trials that were conducted last year. In particular, Seoul conducted 1.4 % of the total global clinical trials, thereby ranking first among all cities worldwide.

In contrast to the field of the development of new drugs, which lags behind advanced countries in Europe and America, the field of clinical trials in Korea has already reached a level equal to that of global powers. Enterprises who are searching for opportunities to fulfill the unmet needs of participants in clinical trials can readily find their opportunity in Korea.

Procuratio Co., Ltd. is a new start-up that was founded earlier this year, based on the infrastructure and ecosystem of domestic clinical trials. The company was founded by Professor Choi Chang-min, a doctor who has been one of those most frequently involved in the care of domestic lung cancer patients, and who is a specialist equipped with professional know-how in the discipline of medical information systems.

Procuratio Co., Ltd. has developed the ProcareNote, a solution designed to control the abnormal reactions of clinical trials. This was designed for the quick detection of abnormal reactions or adverse effects appearing in participants in clinical trials. Securing the safety of participants in clinical trials, as well as the early prediction of consequences and potential cost reduction of clinical trials, are the expected advantages of employing this solution.

Professor Choi said, “... the necessity for the efficient progress of research was found while I was participating in diverse kinds of clinical trials, including those for the development of new drugs to care for lung cancer patients, as well as in projects for the development of medical information systems, such as the management system for clinical studies in the Asan Medical Center.”

The three key technologies to be equipped in the ProcareNote comprise the ▲ Mobile App. to input Abnormal Reactions, ▲ Automatic Judgment of Abnormal Reactions by Artificial Intelligence, and ▲ Capability of Associating Data of Abnormal Reaction with eCRF (the electronic case records files). What is important here is the issue of how to exploit the vast amount of existing information and data that is preserved in hospitals. Professor Choi has participated in the development of medical information systems in the Asan Medical Center, such as the Patient Health Records (PHR) System, Patient Monitoring Through IoT, Extraction System for the Clinical Information of Patients, etc., and acquired essential know-how on how to manipulate these data and the information therefrom. Professor Choi emphasized that, “... it is an illusion that the development of such a system would be granted solely on the availability of AI Algorithm and medical information...”, and “... the participation of clinical doctors is indispensable for the manipulation and analyses of data thereof...”.

ProcareNote exploits six (6) methods for the collection and analysis of the information of the abnormal reactions of clinical trials. Besides the information provided by participants through mobile apps, such as ChatBot, Voice, Image, and Video, ProcareNote secures even the Life Log data through connections to the network of the IoT pertinent to the associated studies. ProcareNote also exploits Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create automatic judgment of the grades of information provided therefrom, and to generate real-time alerts and reporting to persons in charge. The availability of quick analyses of the abnormal reactions of participants in clinical trials thus actively protects the subjects in clinical trials.

ProcareNote will provide predictions on the probability of the successful completion of clinical trials through analyses of the data of these abnormal reactions of participants. The provision of such predictions can minimize the waste to be incurred in R&D projects, through the disposal of unpromising clinical trials. Since the information content to be employed for the analyses of ProcareNote is of participants who have consented to the use of such information, the possibility of being involved in issues related to the security of private information seems insignificant.

Professor Choi also stated, “... We primarily target domestic CROs, pharmaceutical companies, and professors managing clinical trials. Currently, we are negotiating with a domestic pharmaceutical company on concluding contracts therefor....”, “... On resolution of the issues pertinent to regulation, the solution will be exploited in diverse fields, including Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS), and the market of monitoring drugs.” Procuratio Co., Ltd. currently plans to make inroads into China and Vietnam, as well as into other overseas hospitals, through the multinational clinical trials to be directed by the Asan Medical Center.