Whole-body MRI radiology group Prenuvo opens 1st location in Europe
Whole-body MRI provider Prenuvo is opening its first clinic in Europe, the Redwood City, California-based radiology group announced Monday.
The company’s latest outpost is in central London’s Fitzrovia district, near the West End, offering elective MRI exams for £2,499 (about $3,291 USD). Prenuvo estimates it has now delivered about 150,000 of these exams across 27 clinics globally.
It says the new clinic’s opening comes at a “critical moment” for the United Kingdom, which faces a backlog of patients waiting for diagnostic imaging.
“Opening Prenuvo in the U.K. is a tremendous privilege and responsibility,” radiologist Tahreema Matin, MBBS, the new United Kingdom medical director for the company, said in a Nov. 24 announcement. “The clinical opportunity here is significant. Detecting a tumor at an earlier stage generally allows for different treatment options and potentially better outcomes. What we're offering is comprehensive, high-resolution MRI across the entire body in 45 minutes, interpreted by consultant radiologists who specialize in whole-body imaging.”
Prenuvo claims its scans can help pinpoint over 500 conditions, including most solid tumors, brain aneurysms and metabolic disorders. Every scan is interpreted by a specialized radiologist, it said, with the company’s affiliated imaging group partners consisting of over 100 such physicians. Prenuvo currently has approximately two dozen locations, with 15 more slated to open soon across the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Sweden, Australia, Canada and Switzerland.
Co-founded by radiologist Raj Attariwala, MD, PhD, in 2018, the company has raised $120 million in funding from celebrities such as model Cindy Crawford. The care model also has drawn criticism for its high cost and lack of clinical data, prompting Prenuvo to recently launch clinical trials. Currently, the American College of Radiology does not support asymptomatic whole-body imaging, noting there is no documented evidence it is cost-efficient or prolongs life. Prenuvo also is currently involved in a high-profile lawsuit after a patient had claimed the company should have spotted signs of an impending stroke.
Leaders said opening the London clinic represents the first phase of Prenuvo’s European growth strategy as it evaluates additional cities for expansion. Others are currently in operation across the U.S. including in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and New York.
“When we founded Prenuvo, we believed early detection could fundamentally change the trajectory of healthcare,” Andrew Lacy, founder and CEO, said in the announcement. “Opening in London brings that vision to one of the world’s most important medical hubs. People across the U.K. are looking for personalized insight and a health assessment that goes far deeper than a standard physical, and Prenuvo is proud to offer an approach that delivers both—today.”
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.