Biotia, a health technology company specializing in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and artificial intelligence (AI), has announced a collaboration with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to improve diagnostics for prosthetic joint infections.
Prosthetic joint infection remains a significant challenge following joint replacement surgeries, which are performed on millions of patients each year. Andy O. Miller, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases at HSS, said, “When a prosthetic joint infection is present, it can disrupt the recovery process and potentially risk the long-term benefits of joint replacement. Detecting and identifying prosthetic joint infection accurately and early is critical to timely intervention because it enables clinicians to potentially utilize less disruptive treatments. This can make all the difference in a patient’s outcomes and restoration of their quality of life.”
Niamh O’Hara, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Biotia, noted the impact these infections have on both patient health and healthcare costs. “Prosthetic joint infections can result in significant patient health and economic burdens and can be challenging to diagnose,” she said. “Through this collaboration with HSS, we hope to advance the field of musculoskeletal disease diagnostics by bringing clinical metagenomics, a novel technology for diagnosing infections, to the frontlines of patient care.”
Christopher E. Mason, PhD, Co-Founder of Biotia, described the scientific foundation behind this partnership: “builds upon years of research in the field of prosthetic joint infection and developments in the field of clinical metagenomics. We’re proud to collaborate with HSS and to apply AI and advanced NGS methods with the goal of improving diagnostic capabilities, reducing the time to diagnosis, helping guide therapy, and improving patient care for those affected by complex infections.”
The collaboration brings together Biotia’s sequencing platform and proprietary bioinformatics software with HSS physician-scientists from Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement, Infectious Disease, Pathology and Research.
Vijay Nair, Managing Director of Innovation at HSS commented on the approach: “At HSS, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to improve care and enhance the lives of patients worldwide. Through this collaboration, we’re uniting a cross-disciplinary team across academia and industry to look at a complex clinical challenge from multiple angles. By combining our deep clinical expertise with Biotia’s diagnostic platform, our hope is to address a pressing need in the diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infection so patients can get back to doing what they love following joint replacement surgery.”
Biotia operates out of New York City using sequencing-based technology alongside proprietary AI-powered software for rapid identification of microorganisms as well as antimicrobial resistance. The company was spun out from Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech; its New York State CLIA lab is affiliated with SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
For more information about Biotia visit www.biotia.io or connect via X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or LinkedIn.
