Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company announced a partnership to support health-tech startups expanding from the United Kingdom to the United States.

The collaboration will provide funding, resources and market access to emerging companies developing healthcare technologies to accelerate the adoption of AI-driven healthcare tools by combining Oxford's research expertise with Cedars-Sinai's clinical and commercial network.

The initial step in this initiative is a $2 million investment by OSE and Cedars-Sinai in Neu Health, a University of Oxford startup focused on neurology care.

Neu Health's smartphone-based platform helps clinicians monitor and manage Parkinson's disease and dementia patients by analyzing motor and cognitive symptoms using artificial intelligence.

AI and machine learning are used to remotely monitor disease progression, predict clinical outcomes and optimize medication management for Parkinson's and dementia patients.

The app enables clinician-guided care, provides educational support and offers personalized in-person and digital therapies to help patients live independently and reduce the need for higher-acuity care.

OSE, which previously participated in a Cedars-Sinai accelerator program, will pilot its digital platform at Cedars-Sinai, enrolling 150 neurology patients in a six-month trial as part of its U.S. expansion.

Heather Roxborough, senior partner of health tech at Oxford Science Enterprises, told MobiHealthNews that neurology care suffers from a lack of objective data on what happens between doctor visits.

"Neurologists typically see their patients once or twice a year and must make complex treatment decisions based on a short consultation and a handful of tests," Roxborough said.

She explained that finding the right product-market fit in the U.S. healthcare system is not always straightforward, as the system is highly fragmented.

"While clinical needs are similar across different markets, the incentive structures for healthcare businesses vary significantly," she said.

Roxborough said partnering with Cedars-Sinai at an early stage allows companies like Neu Health to gain rapid market feedback and tailor their solution to the needs of a U.S. partner.

"This is particularly valuable for understanding workflow, data integration and commercial requirements –often significant hurdles for early-stage companies," she said.

THE LARGER TREND

Partnerships aimed at matching startup brainpower with access to capital are off to a strong start this year, including AMD's $20 million equity investment to boost Absci's drug-discovery efforts.

Significant investments are also being made to leverage AI technology, as evidenced by drug discovery startup Insilico Medicine's deal with Italian pharmaceutical company Menarini Group to deepen their AI partnership – worth a potential $550M.