Press Releases

Ben-Gurion University Researcher Develops New Clinical Trials Platform 

Based on Machine Learning

Panacea, a Portfolio Company Founded as Part of the University’s Oazis Accelerator 

Will License the Technology

BEER-SHEVA, Israel…October 21, 2020 – Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed a new platform to streamline clinical trials that will lower costs, as well as increase the efficiency and success rate of a drug or medical device development process. 

The new platform leverages machine learning to optimize a clinical trial’s chances of success, by analyzing patient population recruitment and dropout rate, as well as identifying and prioritizing monitored markers. It provides efficient pre-trial recommendations, in-trial interim analysis, and post-trial insights for next trial preparation, as well as potential salvage options in case of failure.

The technology has been licensed for development and commercialization by Panacea, a new company founded by BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of BGU. Prof. Boaz Lerner is Panacea’s scientific founder and a member of the BGU Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. Panacea is a portfolio company of the Oazis accelerator, formed by the Yazamut360 entrepreneur center at BGU.  Click here for photo of Dr. Lerner.

"Clinical trials haven’t fundamentally changed in the past two decades,” says Prof. Lerner. “They are extremely costly, and the probability of success for new drugs is in the single digits. Therefore, our platform is highly beneficial for pharma and biotech companies, enabling them to increase efficiency and the chances of success by streamlining the trial and selecting the optimal participants and markers. Conversely, we can also help in understanding when to terminate a trial and what lessons can be derived from a failed trial." 

The technology has already been used in clinical studies of several neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, and has demonstrated high performance instratification of patients into homogenous, statistically distinct, sub-groups; identification of factors and their interrelations with the disease state; and predictive analysis of progression rate and pattern, as well as disease state.

"In the age of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it seems only natural that drug development should benefit from these sophisticated tools that can take into account large amounts of data, and integrate and analyze numerous parameters in order to optimize clinical trials and increase their probability of success," says Josh Peleg, chief executive officer of BGN Technologies. "We are happy to see that the technology has already received interest from several biopharma companies who have begun collaborating with Panacea on improving their ongoing clinical studies."   

About BGN Technologies 

BGN Technologies is the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), the third largest university in Israel. BGN Technologies brings technological innovations from the lab to the market and fosters research collaborations and entrepreneurship among researchers and students. To date, BGN Technologies has established over 100 startup companies in the fields of biotech, high-tech and cleantech, and has initiated leading technology hubs, incubators and accelerators. Over the past decade, BGN Technologies has focused on creating long-term partnerships with multinational corporations such as Deutsche Telekom, Dell-EMC, PayPal, and Lockheed Martin, securing value and growth for BGU as well as the Negev region. For more information, visit the BGN Technologies website.

About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. Activities include showcasing BGU’s academic excellence and cutting-edge research through educational programs, events and informative communications. AABGU’s main purpose is to support Ben-Gurion’s vision and the university that bears his name by creating a community of Americans committed to improving the world tomorrow from the heart of the Israeli desert today. For more information visit www.aabgu.org.

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