Dr. Andy Moye, Paige AI, on Exploring AI’s Role in Transforming Cancer Diagnostics
In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Andy Moye, CEO of Paige AI. Founded in 2017, Paige is a digital pathology software provider that uses AI to improve cancer diagnoses. Paige is currently the only company with FDA approval for an AI based product, and they are also collaborating with Microsoft to build the world’s largest image-based AI cancer model. In this episode, Dr. Moye and I discuss the journey of Paige’s origin as a spin-out from Memorial Sloan Kettering, the role of AI in supporting cancer diagnostics, the process of navigating corporate partnerships and FDA approval with AI tools, and the value of new AI applications in healthcare.
Dr. Moye’s Journey: From Navy Flight Officer to Healthcare Leader
As a child, Dr. Moye dreamed of following in his father’s steps to serve in the military. While he did just that, starting his service as a flight officer in the U.S. Navy, he eventually transitioned into the business world after pursuing his MBA at the University of Florida. After holding a number of roles in the healthcare and diagnostics world, he quickly realized the value that could be gained from working closely with healthcare customers and responding to their needs. As his career progressed, Dr. Moye realized that he wanted to understand the complexities of healthcare more deeply and got his doctorate in healthcare economics.
I think the interesting thing, particularly for your audience, is that there’s no straight-line path to getting where you want to be. You don’t have to follow a script.
Understanding Paige’s Business Model
Paige stands for Pathology Artificial Intelligence Guidance Engine and began as a spin out from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. David Klimstra, the chair of the pathology department, and Dr. Thomas Fuchs, a machine learning scientist who previously worked with NASA to develop algorithms to teach the Mars rover how to navigate terrain, worked together to found the company and establish it as its own entity. Given the company’s origins at Memorial Sloan Kettering, they were able to build on that foundation to create algorithms to improve cancer diagnoses.
Dr. Moye noted that the process of receiving a cancer diagnosis is often a bit of a black box and can be very confusing and unclear for patients. The current system relies on scans and tissue being sent off to a laboratory and being viewed by a pathologist who then assesses the materials at hand and determines the diagnosis. Given the human nature of the process, it can be easy for something as simple as a bad day or a lack of sleep to result in errors. The use of AI and other diagnostic tools can help support that process and transform the way the cancer diagnosis is done.
I then asked Dr. Moye about Paige’s business model and how it evolved over time. Dr. Moye noted that in healthcare, the process of determining product market fit can be more difficult than other industries given that there’s no straight line between producer of the product, user of the product, and payer of the product. Dr. Moye also noted that another challenge Paige faced was staying focused on their product and mission during the early days of Paige with the pandemic and the prevalence of low interest rates improving the ability to raise capital. However, keeping the company’s vision focused on the users and patients involved with Paige helped them gain traction in the market.
I think the other main challenge for any startup is where are we really going to focus… If I’m giving advice to future entrepreneurs, you have to have just ruthless focus… For us, cancer is a big enough disease set that it warrants its own focus.
Navigating FDA Approval and Partnerships
Next, we discussed the journey Paige has taken to achieve FDA approval for its AI-based cancer diagnostic tools. Reflecting on the comparison to sectors where rapid deployment of AI technologies like ChatGPT is commonplace, Dr. Moye highlighted the critical differences in healthcare applications. This meticulous scrutiny by the FDA is crucial, especially in pathology, where a diagnosis can significantly impact patient outcomes. Dr. Moye also noted that this process is different from radiology where approval can be given more easily given the additional stop gaps associated with that process.
Paige’s journey to FDA approval was marked by extensive dialogue with the regulatory body, but eventually, Paige was able to show that their data were diverse enough that the tool would work across multiple populations and that the results would be safe for use. The various studies Paige conducted as part of this process not only showed that Paige’s tools helped reduce diagnostic errors by 70% but also allowed general pathologists work at a level closer to that of a specialist.
With AI, the interesting thing about cancer is you don’t technically have cancer until the pathologist diagnoses it… In radiology for example, the FDA has approved hundreds of AI algorithms for radiology… But this is the most concerning part for the FDA regulating AI algorithms in pathology because there’s no backstop.
We next discussed the collaboration between Paige and Microsoft and what it represents about AI in healthcare moving forward. Dr. Moye first noted how he appreciated Microsoft’s approach to healthcare, given their focus on providing computing and cloud power to the most innovative and impactful companies to drive them forward. And secondly, Dr. Moye also discussed that working with Microsoft Nuance and Microsoft Research allows Paige to contribute to advancement of new healthcare AI projects.
The New Frontiers for AI in Healthcare and Diagnostics
From there, we went on to discuss the rapid change happening in the healthcare diagnostics world and how AI is contributing to this change. Ultimately, Dr. Moye sees AI as a tool, one that can help doctors make more accurate and more timely decisions. While rollout might take time, Dr. Moye also believes that doctors will become accustomed to new tools as they see the positive impact they can have for patients. Dr. Moye also noted that multimodal AI predictive models represent a new frontier in diagnostics, and that he’s excited to see where that goes with time.
We think about AI ultimately as a tool. It’s a tool like anything else that a laboratory or pathologist has to make the best prediction or diagnosis of cancer, but also make the best prognosis and prediction of what that patient perhaps should be treated with. And ultimately the oncologist, the doctors that provide the care, they’re really a lot of times working without a lot of information. They know it’s cancer. They might know it’s an invasive breast cancer for example. But is it estrogen receptor positive? There’s all kinds of oncology drivers that, if they knew what was going on there, could provide better treatment up front. And I think AI will help with that.
I then asked Dr. Moye his thoughts on areas of AI in healthcare that need further development. Dr. Moye started off by noting that healthcare has no shortage of problems to solve, which makes it such an attractive place for so many startups. The most immediate application, in his mind, is addressing physician burnout. Working with Microsoft Nuance has allowed him to see this play out in real time, with medical notes being drafted by AI for physician review. He then sees medical diagnostics as the next major area, followed by clinical trials. AI can help improve the reach of clinical trials, ultimately speeding the process of drug development.
Career Advice and Closing Thoughts
To finish up, I asked Dr. Moye his advice for young professionals and MBAs looking to explore the healthcare and AI space. Dr. Moye started off by saying that focusing on specific titles can make it easy to miss the forest for the trees; focusing on your skillset and how you’re contributing to your company can be much more meaningful for career and skill development. Dr. Moye also noted that addressing your gaps proactively can also be incredibly helpful for career development; actively taking on opportunities or roles to address gaps can help you grow, and as you become more senior in your career, you can rely on your team to help fill your gaps and move your whole organization forward.
We are very appreciative to Dr. Moye for sharing his advice and wisdom with us on this episode of The Pulse Podcast! Subscribe for our new releases on Twitter, Spotify or Apple podcasts.
