TLDR: Diag-Nose.io and Human Health, two Australian medical startups, have received $3 million in federal funding for their collaborative RhinoMAP project. This initiative aims to develop an AI-enabled platform that uses nasal fluid biomarkers and patient data to revolutionize the monitoring and treatment of respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, with a total project cost of $8.4 million.
Two innovative Australian medical startups, Diag-Nose.io and Human Health, have successfully secured $3 million in federal government funding through the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program. This significant investment will fuel their joint endeavor, ‘RhinoMAP,’ an AI-enabled platform designed to transform the analysis and treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, sinusitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The RhinoMAP project addresses a critical challenge in respiratory care: the high rate of suboptimal outcomes. According to Diag-Nose.io cofounder and CEO Eldin Rostom, up to half of patients treated for severe asthma do not achieve the anticipated results. “New drugs such as biologics are life-changing but are expensive and slow to show results, which often lead to clinical uncertainty, lower patient adherence, and suboptimal use of healthcare resources,” Rostom stated. The new platform aims to mitigate these issues by reducing trial-and-error treatment plans and cutting unnecessary healthcare costs.
The core of the RhinoMAP platform lies in its advanced technology. It utilizes protein biomarkers extracted from nasal fluid samples, combining this objective data with patient-reported information to create a real-time, comprehensive picture of airway inflammation. The integrated AI algorithms are crucial, enabling clinicians to track the effectiveness of high-cost treatments, such as biologics, much earlier than traditional diagnostic tools. Rostom elaborated on the platform’s capabilities, saying, “Our platform, RhinoMAP, is like a radar for the respiratory system. It reveals whether inflammation is escalating, stable, or resolving to help clinicians course-correct or stay the path with confidence, guided by the disease biology itself.”
The total cost of the ambitious project is estimated at $8.4 million, which includes substantial partner cash and in-kind contributions. The collaboration extends beyond the two startups, bringing together a consortium of leading experts from prestigious institutions including Monash University, Mater Research, ENT Clinic Melbourne, Manse Medical, and Invetech.
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Georgia Vidler, cofounder of Human Health, highlighted the unique nature of this partnership, describing it as “a rare and powerful convergence of science, technology, and a shared vision to improve patient outcomes.” The federal grant will specifically support critical research and development, clinical validation, and the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities for the RhinoMAP platform.
