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Mubadala-backed US startup working on AI cancer care

It is hoped the use of AI will speed up the time-consuming process of screening patients for cancer Alamy via Reuters
It is hoped the use of AI will speed up the time-consuming process of screening patients for cancer
  • Color Health joins up with OpenAI
  • AI ‘copilot’ helps with screening
  • Creates personalised plans

A US genomics startup, backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, is working with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to improve cancer screening and treatment using artificial intelligence models.

Color Health, which uses data science and machine learning for genetic testing and counselling in hereditary cancer and heart conditions, has developed an AI assistant, or “copilot”, using OpenAI’s GPT-4o model to help doctors care for their patients.

The copilot application integrates patient medical data with clinical knowledge to create personalised treatment plans which physicians then review.



It uses patient information, such as family history and individual risk factors, along with clinical guidelines and data from trusted sources.

“Color’s vision is to make cancer expertise accessible at the point and time when it can have the greatest impact on a patient’s healthcare decisions,” Othman Laraki, CEO of Color Health, said in a statement.

Since its founding, Color has served over 7 million patients. 

In 2023 it partnered with the American Cancer Society to help employers and health plans address cancer. The disease is the second leading cause of death in the US and a major driver of healthcare costs.

Cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment are notoriously complex and time-consuming. Delays of only four weeks increases the mortality risk by 6 to 13 percent.

Mubadala has invested in other healthtech companies including Recursion Pharmaceuticals, which is also backed by Nvidia, Vir Biotechnology, and Innovaccer.

M42, which was launched by Mubadala Investment Company and AI tech holding company G42, has also been investing in genomics as healthcare shifts towards personalised medicine.

Last year G42 and OpenAI announced a partnership to drive AI adoption in the UAE and other Middle Eastern markets, utilising OpenAI’s generative AI models in sectors including financial services, energy, healthcare and public services.

In April Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42 to accelerate AI development and establish the UAE as a global AI centre, supporting a $1 billion fund for developers. 

Both companies said they aim to ensure the benefits of secure AI technologies and cloud capabilities are responsibly shared with growing economies.

Genomics is the study of DNA and its genes to understand their functions and interactions.

It could revolutionise medicine by enabling personalised treatments, improving disease prevention and advancing the understanding of genetic disorders.

The global genomics market is projected to exceed $90 billion by 2028, according to a Research and Markets report published in February.

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