Pfizer and Novo invest $9m in AMRA

Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, alongside global pharmaceutical company Pfizer, are investing $9 million into the Swedish-based digital health company AMRA. The two companies led a funding round, which was also participated in by life sciences and technology investment firm, Industrifonden.

AMRA has developed a cloud-based, computer-aided service, which transforms images from an MRI scan, into precise fat and muscle measurements. Through the AMRA Profiler, the Swedish company aim to redefine obesity and metabolic risk using a personalised medicine approach.

The technology is the first of its kind to receive CE mark for clinical use in Europe, the company state. Through the technology, AMRA is moving away from body mass index (BMI) and towards the more precise, individualised Body Composition Profile (BCP). BCP offers improved patient stratification, potentially saving time and money for companies by identifying individuals with equivalent body compositions. The high precision of the AMRA Profiler encourages the early detection of treatment efficacy, making it useful for clinical trials.

AMRA state that the technology has the potential to predict the risk of the development for diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, NASH, sarcopenia, and more.

Bill Burkoth, executive director, Pfizer Venture Investments, said: “Pfizer Venture Investments invests in emerging companies developing technologies that can enhance Pfizer’s pipeline and shape the future of our industry. AMRA’s disruptive technology offers a personalised medicine approach to identify those at-risk of poor metabolic health outcomes. We are pleased to assist AMRA in making significant progress in this field.”

Søren Møller, managing partner, Novo Seeds, said: “One of the great health challenges globally is related to ageing and obesity, and there are over 2.1 billion individuals who are characterised as obese or overweight. AMRA’s approach provides technology to identify different classes of obesity and thereby potentially reveal high metabolic risk profiles. AMRA has the potential to play a vital role for research, clinical development and eventually patient management.”

The investment from Pfizer and Novo will help AMRA establish itself internationally and expand its network amongst leading researchers and pharmaceutical companies, AMRA state. The company will also increase its involvement amongst global population cohorts, research institutions, and hospitals.