GE HealthCare to acquire Alzheimer’s imaging AI firm Icometrix
GE HealthCare on Wednesday announced it intends to acquire a key imaging artificial intelligence firm for an undisclosed sum, with plans to integrate the technology into its MRI scanners.
Founded in 2011 and based in Leuven, Belgium, Icometrix offers the first software for automating brain assessments key to administering Alzheimer’s disease therapies from Biogen and Eli Lilly. The AI developer has drawn the attention of organizations such as the American College of Radiology, which partnered with Icometrix in April. Together, they’ve provided the MRI quantification software to imaging facilities banding together to fight the deadly disease.
Chicago-based GE HealthCare also plans to expand access to the AI tool across rival vendor’s MRI systems through both commercial distribution deals and integration into scanners.
“Our anticipated acquisition of Icometrix and its Icobrain solutions supports our goal to help clinicians deliver high-quality, timely care to meet this increased demand in MR technology,” Kelly Londy, GE HealthCare’s president & CEO of magnetic resonance imaging, said in a statement Sept. 10.
GEHC will use cash on hand to fund the deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Icobrain joins other neurological offerings in the GE Healthcare portfolio that include PET (positron emission tomography) scanners, diagnostic pharmaceuticals and MIMneuro Software digital solutions to support Alzheimer’s imaging. The latter was added through GEHC’s 2024 acquisition of Cleveland-headquartered AI firm MIM Software for approximately $259 million.
The Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics, or ALZ-NET, is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association and operated by the ACR. It functions as a voluntary healthcare provider network, collecting data from individuals evaluated and treated using novel U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies. The FDA in recent years has green-lit anti-amyloid drugs such as Leqembi and Kisunla, aimed at slowing the progression of the degenerative disease by removing plaques in the brain. However, these treatments require regular monitoring, including brain MRIs to support diagnosis and detect side effects such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). Icometrix can help radiologists to monitor both ARIA-E (edema/sulcal effusion) and ARIA-H (hemorrhage/superficial siderosis). The software also calculates severity scores, “empowering radiologists and neurologists to assess cases accurately and prescribe anti-amyloid treatments with confidence
Icometrix has raised over $24 million from investors according to PitchBook, including nabbing $18 million in 2019 through a partnership with Forestay Capital, Optum Ventures and Capricorn Venture Partners. Its technologies are now used in over 300 hospitals worldwide, with offerings that also aid radiologists in evaluating neurological concerns such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Icometrix boasts a “strong” pipeline of clinical decision support applications in development, GEHC added. Along with aiding radiologists, the AI company has collaborated with pharmaceutical firms to support drug development and clinical trials.
“Building on our existing relationship, we are excited by the prospect of joining GE HealthCare and leveraging Icometrix’s innovation talents and customer relationships to continue to improve the diagnostic and treatment journey for both neurological clinicians and their patients,” CEO and Founder Wim Van Hecke, PhD, MSc, a Belgium-based expert in MRI analysis and advanced neuroimaging techniques, said in a statement.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.