Onco-Innovations Limited and Redwood AI, in collaboration with Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, have been awarded a competitive Digital Health Innovation Fund grant administered by the Terry Fox Research Institute. The grant will support the development of the Onco SynoGraph AI-driven oncology platform, a project that seeks to transform how preclinical data are translated into first-in-human clinical outcomes. The reimbursement-based grant covers up to 25% of an estimated $3.5 million project budget, underscoring the significant investment required to bring AI-powered solutions to oncology research.
The Onco SynoGraph platform will leverage federated learning and causal AI to predict clinical outcomes from preclinical studies and real-world clinico-genomic data. This approach addresses a critical challenge in drug development: the high failure rate of oncology therapies in clinical trials. By improving the accuracy of preclinical-to-clinical translation, the platform could reduce the time and cost associated with bringing new cancer treatments to patients. Redwood AI will contribute proprietary data integration and physicochemical modelling methods, while the academic partners will provide clinico-genomic and imaging data. Onco-Innovations will contribute its causal AI methods and federated pipeline development.
The grant from the Terry Fox Research Institute, a leading Canadian cancer research organization, signals strong confidence in the project’s potential. It also highlights the growing role of AI in precision oncology. For investors, the award validates the technological approach of both Onco-Innovations and Redwood AI, potentially accelerating their research and development timelines. As noted in the full press release available at https://ibn.fm/ySIj9, the collaboration brings together industry and academic expertise to tackle one of the most pressing issues in cancer research.
Onco-Innovations is a Canadian-based company dedicated to cancer research and treatment, specializing in oncology. The company holds an exclusive worldwide licence to patented technology directed to the therapeutic inhibition of PNKP, a novel clinical target in DNA damage response. Redwood AI is a technology company developing advanced artificial intelligence and cybersecurity solutions for defence, public safety and life sciences, applying AI across quantum cybersecurity, scientific research and advanced chemistry applications. Together, they aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in oncology.
The implications of this announcement extend beyond the immediate project. If successful, the Onco SynoGraph platform could become a standardized tool for predicting clinical outcomes, benefiting not only the participating companies but also the broader pharmaceutical industry. It could lead to more efficient clinical trials, reduced costs, and faster access to new therapies for patients. Moreover, the use of federated learning addresses data privacy concerns by allowing multiple institutions to collaborate without sharing sensitive patient data, a model that could be replicated in other areas of biomedical research.
For those following Onco-Innovations, the latest news and updates are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ONNVF. The company continues to advance its mission to pursue the prevention and treatment of cancer through pioneering research and innovative solutions. This grant award represents a significant step forward in that mission, and it positions Onco-Innovations and Redwood AI at the forefront of AI-driven oncology innovation.
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