Massive Bio unveils GPT-4-powered chatbots to expand access to cancer trials

Massive Bio is showcasing its ChatGPT-powered chatbot platform at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference to broaden access to oncology clinical trials. The company said the platform, which consists of artificial intelligence (AI) personas AskFiona AI and DrArturo AI, will provide comprehensive information and support for cancer patients, referring physicians, and site principal investigators along with their research coordinators.

CEO Selin Kurnaz said incorporating the chatbot personas "will transcend the capabilities of Massive Bio's existing SYNERGY-AI clinical trial matching solution, thereby heralding a new epoch in personalised oncology solutions."

AskFiona AI serves as a comprehensive guide for cancer patients seeking information about clinical trials. The chatbot informs patients about the purpose of the trials and their overall process. It also assesses patient eligibility, escalating them to DrArturo AI if appropriate.

Meanwhile, DrArturo AI offers detailed, personalised information about specific clinical trials, including treatment details and insurance acceptance. "With its capacity to deliver detailed study explanations, respond to protocol-related queries, and provide access to vital documents and schedules, it is an indispensable asset," remarked chief medical officer Arturo Loaiza Bonilla, adding that "its ability to alert research teams about patient-reported outcomes and adverse events ensures a steady flow of crucial information, thus enhancing patient care and accelerating research."

Precision Cancer Consortium collab

Meanwhile, Massive Bio also announced that it has been selected by the Precision Cancer Consortium (PCC) to optimise clinical trial matching through its AI analytics tools. The consortium currently includes biopharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eli Lilly, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and Roche.

The collaboration will incorporate PCC member clinical trial protocols and patient inclusion/exclusion criteria into existing machine-learning matching algorithms in Massive Bio's clinical trial matching service SYNERGY-AI. The company said this will enhance the quality and efficiency of matching patients to trials across sponsor programmes and improve patient access to targeted next-generation sequencing testing and tailored interventions.

Under the agreement, Massive Bio will design and pilot a tool for prospectively matching patients through genomic testing and clinical data to a set of ongoing biomarker-driven clinical trials. The companies will also consider larger-scale or real-world applications for further development.

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