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Boehringer collaborates with biotech firm to detect global disease outbreaks
Lifebit's REAL platform will monitor and interpret scientific publications and other open sources to identify infectious disease outbreaks.

Project will combine real-world evidence with AI to track transboundary infections.

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced a multi-year partnership with biotech firm Lifebit to detect and report global disease outbreaks. 

Through the partnership, scientists will work collaboratively to combine real-world evidence and the latest AI algorithms to identify diseases, particularly those that cross borders, and respond accordingly. 

Lifebit's REAL platform analyses data harvested from millions of tweets, news articles and scientific publications to notify users of relevant disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19. 

As well as speeding up the detection of the latest outbreaks, researchers hope the insights will enable Boehringer’s research and development efforts to be prioritised accordingly.

“External innovation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of our R&D playbook. Therefore, we are strategically partnering with Lifebit to leverage AI to monitor and interpret scientific and other sources in real-time, enabling us to track data related to animal diseases,” commented Dr Eric Haaksma, head of animal health global innovation at Boehringer Ingelheim.

“This, in turn, will accelerate the detection process as the vast amounts of scientific relevant information being produced at many levels cannot be feasibly collected and analysed manually.”

Lifebit CEO Dr Maria Chatzou-Dunford added: “At Lifebit, we thrive at connecting both, locked-up sensitive biomedical data from around the world and AI-driven automated RWE data insights – so that companies at the cutting edge of science, like Boehringer Ingelheim, can make faster and smarter decisions – delivering insights that change lives.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.