- SoftBank Group and Tempus establish a joint venture “SB TEMPUS” to further advance healthcare in Japan by leveraging medical data and artificial intelligence.
- By collecting isolated and unstructured medical data and using artificial intelligence to analyse it, support more personalised healthcare for each patient.
OUR TAKE
Current cancer treatment in Japan starts with “standard therapy” based on scientific evidence, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Collecting and analysing isolated and unstructured data, such as molecular, clinical, pathological, and medical imaging data, not only helps advance drug research, including clinical and drug discovery research, but can also suggest treatment plans that are more tailored to individual patients. This approach may be able to reduce side effects and improve the effectiveness of drugs, leading to the development of personalised medicine.
-Tuna Tu, BTW reporter
What happened
SoftBank Group Corporation announced the formation of a joint venture “SB TEMPUS Corp.” with Tempus AI, a leader in artificial intelligence and precision medicine. The joint venture agreement was signed in May 2024 and the joint venture is expected to be completed by July 2024 at the earliest, at which time both parties will invest 15 billion yen in the joint venture. The joint venture aims to provide precision medicine services in Japan, and SB TEMPUS aims to use artificial intelligence to further develop healthcare in Japan. It will apply the expertise and technology Tempus has accumulated in the United States.
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Why it’s important
Founded in 2015, Tempus has been driving the development of precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Tempus is connected to approximately 50 percent of oncologists in the United States and has one of the industry’s largest deidentified molecular, clinical and imaging databases. Tempus’ AI platform is dedicated to making diagnostics smarter to support healthcare providers in making more informed decisions and pharmaceutical companies in creating better treatments.
SB TEMPUS plans to successively offer precision medicine services in Japan, including genetic testing, medical data collection and analysis, and AI-driven treatment options, leveraging the expertise and technology Tempus developed during its operations in the United States without access to patient identification data from the United States. To help as many cancer patients as possible, the program will support the provision of better diagnosis and treatment through partnerships with Cancer Genomic Medicine Hospitals, as well as Japanese hospitals and medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, medical device companies, cancer insurers and testing companies.
SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy is “Information Revolution – Happiness for all.” Together with Tempus, a leader in personalised medicine that leverages artificial intelligence, the company will promote diagnostics and treatments based on medical data and artificial intelligence. Through close cooperation with the Japanese medical industry, we are committed to contributing to major advances in healthcare.
Eric Lefkofsky, founder and CEO of Tempus, said: “At Tempus, we are committed to changing the precision medicine landscape through the practical application of artificial intelligence. Working with SBG allows us to expand our reach and bring our AI solutions to the Japanese market. Together, we are committed to ensuring that patients benefit from personalised, data-driven therapies that help them live longer, healthier lives. “
