early detection of psoriatic arthritis takes major step forward with novartis, clarius partnership
this collaboration aims to provide the right tools and training to rheumatologists in order to identify diagnostic markers of psa earlier.
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traditional diagnostic methods for psoriatic arthritis, including x-ray and mri, can delay the identification of the disease, impacting patient outcomes.
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in a move aimed at revolutionizing the early detection of psoriatic arthritis (psa) in canada, novartis pharmaceuticals canada has announced a partnership with clarius mobile health to improve access to handheld ultrasound devices for rheumatologists. this collaboration aims to provide the right tools and training to rheumatologists in order to identify diagnostic markers of psa earlier, potentially accelerating the diagnosis timeline for patients.
“more than half of patients with psa are waiting two or more years for a diagnosis, and many report that they are unsatisfied with the current diagnostic delay in psa, and if undetected, it could cause irreversible joint damage in as little as six months. by improving access to point-of-care ultrasound technology, rheumatologists will be able to identify diagnostic markers soon, which may positively impact the timeline to diagnosis of psa,” mark vineis, country president, novartis canada said in an email to healthing.
“we recognize the tremendous potential ai holds for our industry and the healthcare landscape at large, and by joining forces with clarius, we’re pioneering a new era of healthcare collaboration, showcasing the power of cross-sector partnerships and improving accessibility to medical imaging in canada.”
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psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, often leading to significant disability if not diagnosed and treated early. traditional diagnostic methods can delay the identification of the disease, impacting patient outcomes. by leveraging clarius’ handheld ultrasound technology, this partnership aims to bridge the gap in early diagnosis, offering rheumatologists a powerful tool to detect psa sooner.
uniting expertise and technology
novartis, a leading global medicines company, and clarius, a pioneer in miniaturizing ultrasound technology, share a commitment to improving medical imaging accessibility in canada. this agreement will ensure that handheld ultrasound devices are available to rheumatologists nationwide, supported by a comprehensive training and education program. these efforts will be complemented by robust evidence generation to measure the adoption, usage, and impact of this technology in routine practice.
clarius’ third-generation hd3 handheld ultrasound scanners, approved by health canada in 2022, connect wirelessly to apple and android devices using an ai-powered application. this innovative app automatically displays optimized images in real-time, allowing clinicians to make informed decisions at the point of care.
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“being able to use imaging to better see what’s actually happening at the patient level when you have them at the bedside helps you have a much clearer idea of the illness the patient is dealing with and you can help them understand the treatments they require to manage their condition,” dr. mohammad bardi, clinical instructor at the university of british columbia and staff rheumatologist, vancouver general hospital said in an email to healthing.
“so, in the context of psoriatic arthritis, showing someone and being able to directly visualize that their joints or tendons or ligaments are inflamed … helps clearly and precisely identify the role for treatments that we use in these conditions these therapies. the imaging allows us to monitor the response to treatment and to actually see how we’re doing in controlling the inflammation in psa.”
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novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc. is a leading global medicines company dedicated to the development of innovative treatments to improve and extend people’s lives.
clarius mobile health is a pioneer in miniaturizing ultrasound technology and renowned for making accurate, easy-to-use, and affordable ultrasound tools accessible to all medical professionals.
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