National Health Innovation Centre plans to support broader projects as it turns 10

SINGAPORE - Using conventional methods, diagnosing eye diseases such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration can take up to an hour.

But a home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning system, the Singapore Eye Lesion Analyser+ (Selena+), is able to process images on the inside rear surface of the eye, detect eye diseases, and analyse and produce results for an eye scan within minutes.

Developed by local health start-up EyRIS, Selena+ is now used in all diabetic eye screenings conducted by polyclinics here, as well as in national screening programmes in countries ranging from Brunei to Oman.

It is one of more than 100 projects funded by the National Health Innovation Centre (NHIC) since it was founded in 2014.

Over the past decade, NHIC – which supports the commercialisation of medical innovations by Singapore’s public healthcare sector – has formed 25 start-ups, with a cumulative valuation of $273 million, and launched 16 products in 34 markets.

Almost $90 million of investments from private capital was raised in developing these innovations, generating $4.38 million in licensing revenue.

On Nov 14, NHIC celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking the event with a dinner at the Fairmont Singapore hotel.

NHIC chairman Benjamin Ong also highlighted FxMammo, an AI-enabled software that enhances the accuracy of mammograms in breast cancer detection.

Studies have shown it can reduce false positives in initial screenings by 20 per cent, and up to 75 per cent in subsequent screenings, while also minimising false negatives by more than 38 per cent.

Developed under NHIC’s Innovation to Startup (I2Start) grant, FxMammo is under trial at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Start-up FathomX has raised more than $2.7 million to commercialise and expand the market for the technology.

Professor Ong told The Straits Times that over the next decade, the centre aims to support more systems-level innovations.

“These are actually broader projects that impact bigger parts of the healthcare ecosystem as a whole, that potentially have an impact on broader clinical practices and policies,” he said.

Through its work, the centre also hopes to make a greater impact in terms of health and economic outcomes, said Prof Ong, who is also a senior consultant with the National University Hospital’s neurology division.

In line with these aims, NHIC announced a pilot whereby promising projects by public healthcare institutions here can receive a grant of $1 million in project funding and other support if they are aimed at making medical innovations more commercially viable.

NHIC said it aims to enhance the “efficiency, accessibility, affordability and sustainability” of new technology to be integrated into Singapore’s public healthcare system by driving broader systems-level innovations.

NHIC executive director Henry Ho said the centre’s 10th anniversary is a significant milestone, paving the way for its future aspirations in healthcare innovation.

“As we look to the future, we are eager to build upon our accomplishments, advancing further in healthcare technology development and remaining steadfast in our commitment to driving systems-level healthcare transformation forward,” he said.

Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary said at the event that challenges such as an ageing population and increasing demand for quality healthcare underscore the need to accelerate the translation of clinical innovations towards making an impact.

Dr Janil, who is also Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, described NHIC as a “key innovation enabler” working closely with public healthcare institutions in identifying innovations that can address unmet clinical needs.

“By providing centralised support such as funding, strategic guidance and connection to industry partners, NHIC helps to accelerate these clinical innovations towards commercialisation, for healthcare and economic impact,” he said.

NHIC founding chairman Ranga Krishnan, who stepped down from the role in 2023, was also recognised for his stewardship, with Dr Janil presenting him with a commemorative token in acknowledgment.