Owkin partners with Hôpital Foch to validate its tumor biomarkers on human biological samples

• Cancer deaths are nearing 10 million annually, with cases set to rise 77% by 2050¹
• Owkin to validate AI-discovered biomarkers and therapeutic targets using real tumor samples from Hôpital Foch
• As the oncology AI market grows to $11.5B by 2030, real-world testing becomes critical

Paris, Suresnes, 1st of July - Owkin and Hôpital Foch have signed a framework agreement for a strategic collaboration to test and validate biomarkers identified by Owkin's AI on human tumour samples. The aim is to confirm their value as new therapeutic targets, in order to improve diagnosis and develop innovative treatments for a number of cancers. 

K Navigator, the company’s agentic AI copilot for scientists, has identified biomarkers associated with specific cancer subtypes. These promising discoveries will now be evaluated in vitro, using post-surgical tumor samples from the operating room at Hôpital Foch. The aim is to validate their therapeutic relevance under conditions close to physiopathological reality.

“AI is already transforming how we understand cancer, but the real value lies in translating those discoveries into clinical impact. By working with real patient samples, this partnership allows us to validate our findings in human biology, an important step towards better, more targeted care for patients.” said Vassili Soumelis, Chief Medical Officer at Owkin.

“We are particularly proud of this collaboration with Owkin, whose expertise in healthcare AI is recognized worldwide. It will enable us to actively contribute to the development of more personalized medicine, with the ambition of improving the prognosis of cancer patients in the medium term” said Alexandre Drezet, Head of Research and Innovation at Hôpital Foch.

This expanded agreement builds on an earlier bladder cancer project, where Foch provided samples that Owkin used to grow organoids, miniature lab-grown versions of the original tissue. These are already helping to validate AI discoveries that could lead to more precise diagnosis and treatment. Each organoid is carefully checked to ensure it closely reflects the biology of the original tumour, making it a reliable model for confirming potential biomarkers and drug targets. 

At a time when the number of cancer cases worldwide is continuing to rise, access to human samples to validate the results produced by AI is more necessary than ever. By bringing together medical expertise, technological innovation and biological data from the field, this partnership between Owkin and Hôpital Foch embodies a promising approach to advancing precision medicine in oncology.

Media Contact: michelle.shearly@owkin.com

About Hôpital Foch 

With a staff of 2,300, including almost 300 doctors, 611 beds, 260,000 consultations (excluding maternity and emergency care) and over 60,000 hospital admissions per year, the Hôpital Foch is one of the largest hospitals in the Ile-de-France region. Its high-level, multidisciplinary care in virtually all areas of adult medicine and surgery, its strong commitment to teaching, training and research, its state-of-the-art medical-technical facilities and its tradition of welcoming patients make it one of France's top-performing private not-for-profit hospitals. The Franco-American Foch Foundation, which created and built the Hôpital Foch, remains an essential player in its management and strategic choices. Most of the hospital's services enjoy exceptionally high and rapidly growing patient numbers. 

For further information: https://www.hopital-foch.com/