Volpara Health Lands DHA Contract For Breast Cancer Screening

Lunit, a Korean medical AI firm, announced that its New Zealand-based subsidiary, Volpara Health, has landed a $7.3 million contract with the U.S. Defense Health Agency (DHA) to provide breast cancer screening software and upgrade the screening systems. The DHA delivers healthcare services to approximately 9.6 million active-duty and retired military personnel and their families across various branches of the U.S. military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

This partnership will see Volpara’s Patient Hub software, designed for mammography reporting and patient tracking, executed in U.S. military healthcare facilities over the next five years. The software offers integrated support for breast health management, including data tracking, cancer risk assessment, and mammogram follow-ups. A Lunit official anticipated that the system will "significantly reduce the burden on healthcare providers serving military personnel and their families while improving breast cancer detection and preventive care."

Volpara’s founders have collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense on breast cancer screening solutions since the 1990s. This contract builds on Volpara’s expertise in the field. According to the officials, "Collaborating with a U.S. government agency is also expected to serve as a key reference for both companies' future global expansion." This deal has left Volpara all set to meet its annual revenue. The company aims to hit cash operating profit, the profit milestone it will have achieved since it was formed in 2009. A milestone it’s reaching ahead of initial projections set during Lunit’s acquisition of the company in May.

Teri Thomas, Lunit’s chief business officer and Volpara’s CEO, said, “Working with the DHA is a tremendous opportunity to improve healthcare for those who serve our nation.” She noted that Volpara’s adherence to the Department of Defense’s stringent security standards underscores its dedication to patient care and data protection.

Lunit CEO Brandon Suh also commented, “We will continue to leverage the technological strengths and global networks of both companies to strengthen our competitive edge in the global medical AI market.”