Taliaz precision medicine technology spotlighted in leading Israel technology news blog, Geektime
July 2018 //
“Israeli start-up will make sure you only get the drugs that are right for you” (in Hebrew)
New article featured in leading Israeli tech news outlet, Geektime, features how Taliaz offers a platform for creating accurate drug treatment based on each patient’s personal data.
Just as two different people who eat the same diet will get completely different results, in the world of medicine, personalization is a complicated issue because the results may differ due to a variety of factors: age, weight, genes, and so on. The Israeli company Taliaz has chosen to harness this data with machine learning, so that each patient can receive the best drug treatment just for him.
Instead of trial and error, tailor accurate medical care
Depression is one of the most serious diseases in Western society, so the company chose to focus on it in the first stage. The majority of the population suffers from depression at some point in their lives, and it is considered a disease that should be treated as early as possible. Medications for depression are not immediately effective, so doctors often resort to trial-and-error methods, which can take a long time and have unwanted side effects.
Taliaz’s PREDICTIX solution gives doctors a predictive report to enable them to tailor treatment routes specifically for each patient. It is based on a large study in the field of depression called STAR*D (Sequential Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression). The company’s system analyzed this data to find the unique features which predict treatment response and which their patient treatment recommendation report is based on.
As the company’s system learns with every patient, the more patients it helps and the more features it collects, the more capabilities it will be able to develop. The system stores all of the patient’s clinical, genetic and demographic data, so that the attending physician can determine with high accuracy what is the most appropriate treatment for each patient. A simple saliva test is used to collect patient information.
At Taliaz, another dedicated application is being developed so that physiological and behavioral indicators can be monitored to obtain comprehensive information about the effect of the drug on the patient. By optimizing the treatment time for treating medical staff, Taliaz can save the caregiver money, reduce the treatment time for the patient, and prevent the suffering caused by inaccurate medication adjustments.
The cooperation with Maccabi has already begun
The Israeli company Taliaz won a tender for NIS 30 million to implement its system in the Israeli health system, and has begun cooperating with Maccabi HMO. The company has recently started marketing activities in the British market, through collaborations with genetic laboratories and the company Psychiatry-UK, which provides mental health services through a virtual clinic. The combined solution of the two companies will be implemented in the UK public health system.
The company also operates in the corporate sector, which is surprising. According to statistics, depression is a particularly costly factor for employers, so the company is working with insurance companies and other entities in order to simplify the treatment of depression among employees. The future of medicine can already be imagined based on information more intelligently, in which everyone will be able to receive more accurate, safe, and effective drug treatment.
Taliaz was co-founded in 2012 by Dr. Dekel Taliaz, a neuroscience researcher from the Weizmann Institute who serves as the company’s CEO, and Oren Taliaz, who serves as CFO. To date, the company has raised about $1.3 million and has won five Innovation Authority grants. Also, the mix of investors in the company includes professionals such as doctors and psychiatrists. The company’s offices are located in Tel Aviv, and employ about 8 people.