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Brainomix and Boehringer Ingelheim expand e-Lung AI collaboration for pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis

Edited by Robert McTiernan··3 min read

Data on earlier pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis has pushed Brainomix and Boehringer Ingelheim to expand their collaboration, moving from retrospective validation into a prospective, multi-site US deployment of the e-Lung AI imaging platform. The two companies announced the expansion on May 12, 2026, ahead of the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Orlando.

Brainomix, a University of Oxford spinout headquartered in Oxford, England, developed e-Lung as an US FDA-cleared AI software platform that automatically detects and quantifies abnormalities on thoracic CT scans. Boehringer Ingelheim, a major developer of antifibrotic therapies for interstitial lung disease (ILD), will deploy the technology across multiple US clinical sites in the new prospective PROGRESS-PPF study. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Deal context

PPF is characterized by irreversible fibrotic lung progression regardless of the underlying ILD subtype, with published studies estimating median survival at as little as five years from symptom onset. One of the central clinical challenges is delayed diagnosis: patients with fibrotic ILD often experience prolonged referral pathways and variable radiologic interpretation before progression is recognized and antifibrotic therapy is initiated.

The first phase of the Brainomix–Boehringer Ingelheim collaboration generated retrospective data from the REVISE-PPF study, conducted with the University of Chicago, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. According to results scheduled for presentation at ATS on May 17, the e-Lung platform identified radiologic evidence of PPF up to 28 months earlier than local clinical diagnoses and stratified patients at elevated risk of progression using baseline CT imaging alone.

The e-Lung platform uses deep learning algorithms applied to high-resolution CT scans to generate quantitative imaging biomarkers of fibrosis extent and progression. Rather than relying solely on qualitative radiologist assessment, the software produces reproducible longitudinal measurements across serial scans, allowing subtle structural deterioration to be tracked over time. Brainomix said the platform has regulatory clearance in the US and has been deployed clinically in more than 20 countries.

The new PROGRESS-PPF study is designed as a prospective, multicenter investigation evaluating whether integration of the platform into routine clinical workflows can accelerate diagnosis and treatment initiation in real-world practice. The shift from retrospective validation to prospective deployment represents an important transition for imaging AI systems seeking broader clinical adoption, particularly in diseases where diagnosis depends heavily on specialist interpretation and longitudinal imaging review.

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Industry and clinical context

The collaboration reflects increasing interest in quantitative CT imaging biomarkers for fibrotic lung disease, particularly as drug developers and regulators seek more sensitive tools for measuring progression in ILD. Brainomix previously disclosed that e-Lung had been selected as a co-primary endpoint in Boehringer Ingelheim’s Phase III DROP-FPF trial, which the company described as the first late-stage ILD study to incorporate automated quantitative CT analysis in that role. If validated prospectively, such imaging-derived endpoints could potentially influence future trial design and disease monitoring approaches in pulmonary fibrosis.

The deployment focus of PROGRESS-PPF also addresses one of the major unresolved challenges in medical imaging AI: demonstrating utility within routine clinical workflows rather than under retrospective research conditions. While AI-based radiology tools have shown strong performance in controlled studies across multiple disease areas, broad adoption has often been limited by integration challenges, variability across institutions, and uncertainty around whether earlier detection meaningfully changes patient management or outcomes.

For Boehringer Ingelheim, whose pulmonary fibrosis portfolio includes the antifibrotic drug nintedanib, earlier identification of progressive disease could potentially expand the window during which treatment can be initiated before substantial irreversible lung damage occurs. The study may also generate additional evidence supporting the use of quantitative imaging in ILD management beyond conventional pulmonary function testing and qualitative CT interpretation.

The REVISE-PPF findings will be presented during an ATS session on May 17. A separate ATS Innovation Hub session on May 19 will feature Mayo Clinic clinicians discussing operational use of e-Lung in routine practice, suggesting the platform is already moving beyond purely investigational deployment within select academic medical centers.

This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by the AllSci editorial team Explore more at AllSci News: https://allsci.com/news/

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