Damo Panda, an AI model used for early pancreatic cancer screening, has been officially designated as a breakthrough device by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said its developer Alibaba-affiliated DAMO Academy on Thursday.

Leveraging AI, the model can detect subtle lesions invisible to the human eye in CT images, thus improving scanning precision and addressing the global challenge in early pancreatic cancer screening. Meanwhile, it offers a non-invasive method for early pancreatic cancer detection, ideal for opportunistic screening during routine CT scans or checkups.

Pancreatic cancer boasts the highest fatality rate among malignancies, largely due to its low early-stage diagnosis rates, with over 80 percent of cases being identified in advanced stages, said the academy, adding early screening and diagnosis will significantly boost survival rates.

The FDA Breakthrough Device Program is intended to support the innovation of devices that provide more effective treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions. It helps patients and healthcare providers get timely access to novel technologies by speeding up development, assessment and review processes of devices under the program.

Already in pilot programs throughout China, Damo Panda identified two early-stage cases among 40,000 individuals at the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, cases missed by traditional screening methods, according to the academy. The academy said it plans to collaborate with top healthcare tech firms to expand the AI model's reach globally.