Perceiv AI declared that Merck had chosen it and eight other early-stage biomedical businesses from a pool of 152 applications for the first cohort of the Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDSS). The program was launched in November to support cutting-edge digital technology for drug research.
“Being selected for the Merck MDSS program is a major accomplishment for Perceiv AI and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. This partnership is a huge step forward for us and we are grateful for this opportunity”, “We are excited to work alongside such a renowned and respected company in the healthcare and life sciences industry and to use our cutting-edge AI technology to make a real impact in the field to advance pharma R&D innovation for clinical development, patient identification, clinical trial optimization, and trial de-risking.”
Dr. Christian Dansereau, CEO and co-founder, Perceiv AI
Merck and the New Jersey Innovation Institute joined forces to create MDSS, and Northpond Ventures, McKesson Ventures, and the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund contributed funding to the project. The accelerator offers direct Merck funding, access to robust Azure Cloud computing, and Microsoft for Startups technology assistance. Additionally, if suitable, participating companies are given chances to work with discovery and clinical experts at Merck on experimental projects.
Through the program, Perceiv AI hopes to build upon its unique multimodal prognostic platform ForesightTM. The ForesightTM platform promotes the creation of predictive biomarkers for neurological illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, for clinical trials and everyday use. It integrates longitudinal clinical data with imaging and genetics to foresee disease progression.
Perceiv AI is a participant in the 10-month accelerator program along with Andson Biotech, Deep Forest Sciences, Gesund.ai, Magna Labs, IndyGeneUS AI, SciMar ONE, Stem Pharm, and Pepper Bio. In order to move into a pilot project with Merck, the initiative will start with the company’s examination of how its technology may complement Merck’s current emphasis areas.
This announcement follows the closing of Perceiv AI’s funding round at the end of the previous year. Perceiv AI will be able to advance the ForesightTM platform with strategic partners and investors like those in this program.
