Cindy Crawford-backed startup offering whole-body MRIs for $2,499 marks ‘significant milestone’

A California-based startup that offers whole-body MRIs for $2,499 has reached a “significant milestone,” leaders said Thursday.

Prenuvo just opened its first imaging center in New York City and is aiming to double its number of locations, up to 12, by the end of 2023. The company has now performed “tens of thousands” of whole-body scans, with 1 in 20 patients reportedly receiving “lifesaving diagnoses.”

It has also collected $70 million in series A funding—from supermodel wellness investor Cindy Crawford, among other notable names—and is pursuing rapid expansion.

“We are committed to shifting the healthcare paradigm from reactive to proactive,” Andrew Lacy, founder and CEO, said in an April 27 announcement. “Waiting to address health issues once they have already taken hold leads to delayed diagnoses, costly medical treatments, and diminished quality of life for patients. Prenuvo gives people the opportunity to make lifestyle modifications before potential health concerns become dire, and ultimately lead happier, healthier lives.”

Lacy and colleagues said their scanners can screen for more than 500 conditions, including most solid tumors, along with aneurysms, cysts and more. He founded the firm alongside radiologist Raj Attariwala, MD, PhD, after both had lost loved ones to late-stage cancer they believe could have been prevented.

Prenuvo said demand for its services have been “strong” in New York City, with a month’s worth of booked appointments after opening this week. They additionally have outposts in Redwood City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boca Raton, Vancouver, and a “partner location” in Minneapolis.

Radiologists have previously expressed concern about the business model, believing the scans could trigger unnecessary workups, biopsies and procedures for findings that do not end up posing any importance.