A new digital health tool called BoneBot has been licensed out to Austrian software firm ImageBiopsy Lab to accelerate its development, according to an Oct. 20 report by pharmaphorum. The technology applies machine learning to X-rays to detect hidden fractures in the spine that can remain undiagnosed in more than two-thirds of osteoporosis cases.
Belgian drugmaker UCB, BoneBot's developer, said licensing it out to ImageBiopsy could see it brought into clinical practice by 2023, according to the report.
The AI focuses on identifying small vertebral compression fractures and distinguishing them from other problems such as vertebral degeneration. It will be integrated into ImageBiopsy's existing AI-based platform, according to pharmaphorum.