An Israeli-developed artificial intelligence model that can identify individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease years before the first symptoms appear has successfully completed large-scale validation in the United States, marking a significant milestone for medical research originating at Clalit Health Services Flagship institution - Beilinson hospital.
The technology, developed by Israeli health-tech company ALZAI Health, uses routine blood test results, existing medical diagnoses and demographic information to assess an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Rather than relying on expensive brain scans or invasive procedures, the system analyzes information already available in patients' electronic medical records.
The model was developed based on groundbreaking research conducted at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, in collaboration with Ariel University. Its subsequent multinational validation examined more than 1.6 million patient records and over 200 million medical data points from Israel and the United States, demonstrating the potential of the technology across large and diverse patient populations.
The breakthrough addresses one of the greatest challenges in Alzheimer's care: identifying the disease early enough for medical intervention to make a meaningful difference.
Alzheimer's disease develops gradually, often beginning 15 to 20 years before noticeable symptoms emerge. During this period, biological changes take place in the brain, including the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles. By the time memory loss and other cognitive symptoms become apparent, significant damage may already have occurred.
Early identification is particularly important as some of the newer treatments for Alzheimer's have demonstrated effectiveness primarily in the early stages of the disease. Yet most patients are diagnosed only after cognitive decline has become evident.
"Early diagnosis is critical because it creates an opportunity to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Some of the treatments available today are effective only in the early stages. Throughout my years treating patients, I have repeatedly encountered people who came to me only after developing significant cognitive impairment. At that stage, medicine has far fewer options to offer," said Dr. Amir Glik, Director of the Cognitive Neurology Service at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, who initiated the research.
From a clinical challenge to an international AI breakthrough
The research was initiated by Dr. Glik, together with Professor Chen Hajjaj, Dr. Anat Goldstein and Dr. Orit Refaeli from Ariel University's Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.
Drawing on extensive medical data made available through Clalit's research infrastructure and Clalit-Beilinson's research authority, the team examined hundreds of thousands of medical records, including routine blood tests, pre-existing medical conditions and demographic information.
The researchers trained machine-learning models using hundreds of millions of medical data points and discovered that important indicators of future Alzheimer's risk were already present in routine medical records. Individually, these indicators may not raise clinical concern, but when analyzed together using AI, they can reveal patterns associated with an increased risk of developing the disease.
The research provided the scientific foundation for ALZAI Health, established through a partnership between Mor Research Applications, Clalit's technology commercialization company, Ariel Scientific Innovation, Ariel University's commercialization company, and the company's founders, CEO Haim Roklow, Roi Kite and Ofri Kite.
The company has since taken the technology beyond its original research setting. Its multinational validation study analyzed more than 1.6 million patient records and over 200 million medical data points from Israel and the United States. ALZAI Health was listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Toronto approximately two months ago and has raised approximately CAD $7.5 million to date.
The company's ambition is to make AI-based Alzheimer's risk assessment available to healthcare systems, pharmaceutical companies and clinical research programs worldwide.
A growing global health challenge
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 60 million people worldwide live with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease accounting for an estimated 60 to 70 percent of cases. The number of people living with dementia is projected to exceed 150 million by 2050, largely driven by population aging.
Despite the growing burden, early diagnosis remains a major challenge. The ability to identify individuals at elevated risk using information already collected during routine medical care could offer healthcare systems a new and potentially scalable approach to earlier detection.
Dr. Erez Barenboim, CEO of Clalit-Beilinson and Hasharon Hospitals, said: "Beilinson is Israel's leading hospital in investment in research, with an annual research budget exceeding NIS 160 million. This project demonstrates our commitment to developing the medicine of tomorrow. I am proud to lead an organization that not only provides outstanding medical care but also identifies unmet medical needs, conducts research and works to develop innovative solutions. Our partnership with pioneering companies such as ALZAI Health demonstrates how scientific research can be translated into real-world medical innovation."
Shay Marcus, CEO at Mor Research Applications, Clalit's technology commercialization company, said: "ALZAI Health is an excellent example of Mor's mission: transforming groundbreaking Israeli research into technologies with global impact. We are proud to have accompanied this journey from the original scientific idea and the establishment of the company to its entry into international capital markets. It demonstrates how medical innovation born in Israel can potentially make a difference in the lives of millions of patients worldwide."
Hayim Raclaw, Co-Founder, CEO & Director of ALZAI Health Group, said: "Our vision at ALZAI is to change the way healthcare systems approach Alzheimer's disease, moving from reacting to the disease after symptoms appear to identifying individuals at risk much earlier. The key advantage of our technology is that it can do this using medical information that already exists in patients' records, without requiring complex or invasive tests at the initial stage. Research that began in Israel has evolved into a platform evaluated across more than 1.6 million medical records in the United States and Israel. Our goal now is to bring this capability to healthcare systems, pharmaceutical companies and clinical trials worldwide."