The Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) will conduct a joint research collaboration with Neurophet, an artificial intelligence (AI) solution company for brain disorders diagnosis and treatment. The collaboration will focus on Neurophet AQUA MS, its quantitative imaging software for multiple sclerosis.

The joint study aims to develop and validate AI algorithms that detect multiple sclerosis lesions based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To this end, both parties will secure high-quality, large-scale datasets related to multiple sclerosis and will accelerate the development of new technologies to be integrated into Neurophet AQUA MS.

Neurophet AQUA MS is a software module integrated into Neurophet AQUA, Neurophet's brain imaging analysis solution, and is designed to analyze brain images of patients with multiple sclerosis, a chronic and debilitating disease of the central nervous system. The product received FDA 510(k) Clearance in October 2024.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system, which comprises the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It primarily occurs in young adults aged 20 to 40 and shows a higher prevalence in women. It is also more common among Caucasian populations in North America and Europe, while relatively less prevalent in Asian and Black populations. Considering these regional characteristics, Neurophet AQUA MS is expected to establish itself as a strategic product in the U.S. and European markets, where the prevalence of multiple sclerosis is high.

Under the collaboration, VHIR will provide de-identified brain MRI datasets from clinically diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients, along with expert-annotated ground truth lesion labels. Based on these datasets, Neurophet will develop and validate AI algorithms. In particular, the collaboration will focus on developing detection algorithms for the Central Vein Sign (CVS) and Paramagnetic Rim Lesions (PRL)—key imaging biomarkers emphasized in the latest diagnostic criteria—leveraging a large-scale dataset of over 1,000 patients.

Vall d’Hebron played a leading role in establishing the 2024 Revised McDonald Criteria, the international standard for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Through this collaboration, Neurophet expects to leverage VHIR's world-class clinical data and expertise to further strengthen the clinical reliability of its AI technology.

In Vall d’Hebron, the work will be led by Dr. Àlex Rovira Cañellas, principal investigator of the Neuroradiology Research Group at VHIR, a widely recognized as a world-leading neuroradiologist in the field of multiple sclerosis.

Donghyeon Kim, Co-CEO of Neurophet, stated, "this collaboration with VHIR enables us to directly develop and validate Neurophet's AI-based multiple sclerosis analysis technology through a leading institution in Europe. Going forward, we plan to further strengthen the clinical reliability of our AI algorithms based on large-scale datasets".