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EF: Could you elaborate on Avamed and how are you pioneering in the healthcare space?
LD: Avamed Synergy, founded in 2012, envisioned personalized and predictive medicine at a time when engaging with doctors in hospitals with this concept was challenging. We ventured into the field of universal public health in Spain, acquiring a deep knowledge of tumor pathology as well as hospital management in the various autonomous communities of the country. Our focus was initially on consulting for personalized medicine and complex surgeries, specializing in tumor pathology in specialties such as neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery and traumatology.
We began an intense period of work and learning in close collaboration with renowned specialists in Spanish healthcare, particularly at the Virgen de Arrixaca Hospital (Murcia), where we had the honor and opportunity to acquire knowledge about the complexities of oncology procedures and surgery. This experience allowed us to recognize the need for a more effective and precise diagnosis to enhance preoperative planning and ensure successful surgery. Thanks to the partners who supported our project, such as TechFit Digital Surgery, we had the opportunity to develop the personalized prostheses necessary for critically ill patients undergoing complex procedures.
Transitioning to an intelligent and predictive environment for 3D imaging, we present Fluxus, a unique and innovative project destined to be the future for precision and personalized 3D medicine from diagnostic images. Approved and certified in 2020 amid the beginning of the pandemic, Fluxus received recognition from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, allowing its expansion nationwide and obtaining the multicenter level. In collaboration with the reference hospitals of Malaga and Valladolid and, together with the Institutes of Biomedical Engineering and Research, we developed Fluxus until it became a versatile and transversal tool applicable to various specialties that address oncological pathologies.
With three years of development culminating in clinical validity, Fluxus is at the forefront of automated processes, including anatomical segmentation and the identification of irregular structures, particularly challenging, in the case of tumors. Leveraging machine learning, Fluxus improves tumor detection and prediction, offering unprecedented information on the possible evolution of tumors thanks to its unique tumor-host analytical interface. Over the next two years, we anticipate new advancements, solidifying our commitment to revolutionizing personalized medicine and predictive diagnostics.
EF: How do you see the doctor's capacity to learn and adopt these technologies?
LD: Consideration of the age and technological adaptability of medical professionals is crucial. Our project team is mainly made up of younger researchers, as older doctors tend to be less receptive and prepared for these types of initiatives. While technology is a powerful tool across generations, its acceptance varies. However, recent trends suggest growing openness and acceptance within the healthcare sector towards the adoption of advanced technologies, promising significant benefits for both patients and professionals.
The implementation of new technologies in medical care has great potential, and has a great impact at all levels, such as the optimal management of hospital resources (cost reduction), the reduction of times for hospital stays, the best and prompt patient recovery and improvement unique opportunities in the training of future medical residents. Leveraging simulation environments and data structuring with technology allows physicians to diagnose and plan treatments with greater accuracy, thereby improving overall patient care.
While some reservations remain regarding AI-driven decision-making, we view AI as a valuable ally and never a substitute for human expertise and decision-making. AI helps doctors organize data efficiently, facilitating informed decision-making without dictating results. Clinical decisions are multifaceted, considering patient symptoms, diagnostic tests, genetic factors, and so on, ultimately requiring human judgment.
Our company is at the forefront of this technological frontier and offers unique solutions to combat the increasing incidence of cancer. With cancer rates projected to increase by 60% globally in the coming decades, our innovative approach holds great promise for addressing this pressing public health challenge. It will be an enormous challenge to save lives and it is the reason that keeps us working.
EF: What are you doing to take the cancer fight to the next step?
LD: In 2024, our focus will revolve around two critical milestones to drive company value. Firstly, we aim to obtain CE certification by the end of the year, which will position us to enter the European market during the next 2025. At the same time, we are actively advancing our pilot projects in several hospitals. Our main challenges for the year include continuity and progress in development and certification as a medical device.
In the financial field, we are actively seeking private investment, with a target of between 1.5 and 2.5 million euros. In anticipation of the launch of Fluxus to catalyze investor interest, we anticipate the injection of capital that will allow us to expand our pool of talented researchers, particularly in recruiting essential mathematicians to realize the tumor behavior predictive algorithm together with our competent biomedical engineering and development team.
EF: In such a competitive market, how do you create the best team and retain the best talent?
LD: Investing in the training of our employees is a significant commitment of both time and resources. It is discouraging to consider the possibility of losing qualified engineers soon after investing in their training and development.
To address this, we have implemented various strategies aimed at talent acquisition and retention. Partnering with universities, such as our collaboration with the School of Engineering and Biomedicine of the University of Alicante, allows us to take advantage of and learn first-hand about groups of students trained in internships that will be promising. This mutually beneficial arrangement provides students with valuable real-world experience while we benefit from their new perspectives and potential talent.
Furthermore, our participation in initiatives such as the ENIA Chair in Artificial Intelligence fosters partnerships with academia, allowing us to access specialized knowledge and establish fruitful collaborations between university and industry for the development of projects.
While we have made progress in attracting and retaining talent, we recognize the growing competition for skilled professionals. Our workforce, with an average age of 24 or 25 years, reflects our commitment to training young talent. However, we recognize that our efforts alone may not be enough in a landscape where companies increasingly compete for top-level staff.
We remain optimistic and proactive in our search for talent. By continually refining our strategies and fostering meaningful partnerships, we aim to not only attract but also retain the best and brightest people who share our vision of innovation and excellence.
EF: Do you have a final message to share?
LD: We must place our trust in technology and in the companies that lead technological advances related to health. This is a crucial time to take advantage of the wealth of information we have accumulated over the years, meticulously organized and structured to generate more knowledge. Through extensive data collection and organization, we have laid the foundation for significant advances in treatments and diagnoses, resulting in more efficient and less intrusive patient care.
With technology as our ally, we offer renewed hope to cancer patients by optimizing and structuring data. I briefly remember an interesting and recent observation by an intensivist doctor from Malaga underlining this need for structured data analysis; Despite having access to more than 200 markers per patient in the Intensive Care Unit, decisions are currently only based on a fraction of them: around 20 markers. Recognizing this limitation, the doctor expressed the need to integrate algorithms to present data in a structured way, facilitating better decision-making processes.
It is precisely this challenge that we are actively addressing. By developing solutions that harness the power of algorithms to organize and present complex data sets, we aim to equip healthcare professionals with the tools they need to make empowered, more informed decisions and ultimately improve outcomes. from the patients.
