Photocure and Artera to partner on digital pathology AI test evaluation for Bladder Cancer
OSLO, Norway, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), the Bladder Cancer Company, and Artera, a leading precision medicine company, announce launch of a joint research initiative. The collaboration encompasses Photocure's blue light cystoscopy (BLC®) registry in bladder cancer and the ArteraAI Bladder Test, an AI-powered digital pathology test currently in development for patients with bladder cancer.
As healthcare systems increasingly embrace precision medicine, the demand for advanced precision diagnostics in uro-oncology continues to grow. Photocure, already recognized for its proven leadership in bladder cancer diagnostics where accuracy is critical, is well positioned to meet this need. This research initiative with Artera underscores Photocure's commitment to grow an array of complementary diagnostic solutions to address the evolving needs of patients, physicians, and the broader healthcare community, towards more personalized, data-driven care in uro-oncology, enabling better clinical outcomes and supporting the shift toward precision medicine.
The research collaboration will provide Artera with access to high-quality data from the Photocure U.S. BLC registry to further validate the ArteraAI Bladder Test. Together, the companies will utilize real world evidence to help urologists more effectively identify bladder cancer and manage its treatment. Unlike many other cancers, there are fewer well-established biomarkers in bladder cancer, which currently limits clinicians from personalizing treatment options. The partnership between Photocure and Artera is dedicated to advancing research that guides smarter treatment decisions and helps patients receive therapies best suited to their disease.
The objectives of using the BLC registry's long-term clinical practice data are to develop, evaluate, and optimize the performance of Artera's multimodal AI (MMAI) histopathology biomarkers in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The joint research aims to validate the prognostic and predictive capabilities of the ArteraAI Bladder by addressing critical clinical questions.
"With this collaboration, we are exploring additional ways to enter scientific collaborations that may utilize Photocure's BLC registry to advance the field of precision diagnostics. When urologists use BLC, they often perform biopsies and resection to achieve a more accurate diagnosis and a more complete procedural outcome. By pairing the BLC captured specimen with the ArteraAI Bladder Test, we aim to accurately determine the grade and stage of disease while also providing a readout on whether these patients are optimal candidates for specific follow-up drug therapy. BLC and Artera's AI-powered biomarkers have the promise to set patients on the right course of bladder cancer management, streamlining the decision-making for pathologists and urologists," said Anders Neijber, Chief Medical Officer of Photocure.
"Artera is excited to be working with Photocure to expand the application of our MMAI algorithms into other genitourinary cancers. Given the impact we've made to date in the prostate cancer realm, we hope to make a similar impact in bladder cancer and deliver personalized prognostic and predictive insights to patients and physicians," said Andre Esteva, co-founder and CEO of Artera.
"Building on the success of BLC, Photocure is expanding its vision to develop a complementary suite of precision diagnostic solutions. With established expertise, relationships and a track record in bladder cancer, we are uniquely placed to drive progress and set new standards in the future of uro-oncology precision diagnostics. Today we are seeking to accelerate the advancement of personalized care in a manner that has not previously been achieved. Along with Artera, we are truly excited about what we can do for urologists, their staff and their patients," said Dan Schneider, President and CEO of Photocure.
For more information, please contact:
Photocure:
Dan Schneider
President and CEO
Photocure ASA
Email: ds@photocure.com
Priyam Shah
Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +17176815072
Email: priyam.shah@photocure.com
Media and IR enquiries:
Geir Bjørlo
Corporate Communications (Norway)
Tel: +47 91540000
Email: geir.bjorlo@corpcom.no
Artera:
Media Contact:
Vanessa Donohue
Email: artera@antennagroup.com
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About Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer ranks as the 8th most common cancer worldwide – the 5th most common in men – with 1 949 000 prevalent cases (5-year prevalence rate)1a, 614 000 new cases and more than 220 000 deaths in 2022.1b
Approx. 75% of all bladder cancer cases occur in men.1 It has a high recurrence rate with up to 61% in year one and up to 78% over five years.2 Bladder cancer has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers.3
Bladder cancer is a costly, potentially progressive disease for which patients have to undergo multiple cystoscopies due to the high risk of recurrence. There is an urgent need to improve both the diagnosis and the management of bladder cancer for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike.
Bladder cancer is classified into two types, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), depending on the depth of invasion in the bladder wall. NMIBC remains in the inner layer of cells lining the bladder. These cancers are the most common (75%) of all BC cases and include the subtypes Ta, carcinoma in situ (CIS) and T1 lesions. In MIBC the cancer has grown into deeper layers of the bladder wall. These cancers, including subtypes T2, T3 and T4, are more likely to spread and are harder to treat.4
1 Globocan. a) 5-year prevalence / b) incidence/mortality by population. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today, accessed [February 2024].
2 Babjuk M, et al. Eur Urol. 2019; 76(5): 639-657
3 Sievert KD et al. World J Urol 2009;27:295–300
4 Bladder Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer.html
About BLC® with Hexvix®/Cysview® (hexaminolevulinate HCl)
Hexvix/Cysview is a drug that preferentially accumulates in cancer cells in the bladder, making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC®). BLC with Hexvix/Cysview, compared to standard white light cystoscopy alone, improves the detection of tumors and leads to more complete resection, fewer residual tumors, and better management decisions.
Cysview is the tradename in the U.S. and Canada, Hexvix is the tradename in all other markets. Photocure is commercializing Cysview/Hexvix directly in the U.S. and Europe and has strategic partnerships for the commercialization of Hexvix/Cysview in China, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. Please refer to https://photocure.com/partners/our-partners for further information on our commercial partners.
The following safety information is solely included to comply with U.S. regulatory requirements: Important Risk & Safety Information for Cysview® (hexaminolevulinate HCl)
About Photocure ASA
Photocure is a commercial diagnostic company with global reach, committed to driving progress in uro-oncology precision diagnostics, delivering meaningful advances for patients with urological cancers. Our unique core technology has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. The company aims to provide an array of transformative solutions that help physicians with timely diagnostic information, to inform more personalized decisions on how best to manage each individual patient. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit www.photocure.com/news
About Artera
Artera is a global leader in precision medicine, leveraging multimodal artificial intelligence (MMAI) to personalize cancer care. Artera's MMAI platform leverages a patient's digitized histopathology images along with the patient's clinical data to determine cancer aggressiveness and predict therapy benefit. Artera's flagship product, the ArteraAI Prostate Test, is commercially available as a laboratory-developed test in the US and internationally through its distribution partners. The ArteraAI Prostate Test is the first of its kind to deliver both prognostic and predictive insights for patients with prostate cancer, empowering clinicians and patients to make more informed treatment decisions.
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