Dognosis Launches Phase 3 Trial for AI-Canine Cancer Screening

The Indian startup Dognosis is developing a low-cost cancer prescreening tool that integrates the olfactory capabilities of dogs with AI and sensors. Operating from a facility near Bengaluru, the company trains dogs to detect cancer traces in human breath samples, using AI to interpret the animals' brain activity, respiration, and body language to identify positive cases.

A Phase 2 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed approximately 90% sensitivity for early-stage cancers across more than 20 types. Building on these results, Dognosis has launched a Phase 3 trial involving 10,000 participants across 10 hospitals to validate the system's performance in larger populations.

The company plans to launch an at-home multi-cancer prescreening test in India next year, targeting an annual volume of 1 million tests. Dognosis aims to expand its operations to the United States by late 2027 or early 2028. Pankaj Chaturvedi of the Tata Memorial Centre noted that while such emerging technologies offer opportunities, they should strengthen rather than replace existing screening programs.