Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is joining forces with NVIDIA, Microsoft and digital health company Dawn Health to develop an AI-powered patient support model designed to transform how people living with rare tumors navigate their treatment journeys.

 

The collaboration will combine pharmaceutical and clinical expertise with artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technology and digital health product development to deliver more personalized, responsive and continuous support to patients, including those with limited access to specialist care.

 

The initiative will initially focus on patients with desmoid tumors and neurofibromatosis type 1 with plexiform neurofibromas (NF1-PN), two rare tumor conditions associated with complex treatment pathways and significant unmet patient needs. The model is slated for pilot testing in key European markets.

 

“Across their treatment journeys, patients with rare tumors often describe challenges that extend well beyond clinical care, like navigating multiple specialists, complex regimens and repeatedly reconstructing their treatment story for each new stakeholder. Our integrated support ecosystem starts with the need. 

 

"The goal is to truly transform how healthcare is experienced, not add another tool on top of it,” said Miguel Fernández Alcalde, Head of Global Commercial Strategy for Healthcare business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “This solution is designed to make more continuous and personalized support available across small and geographically dispersed rare tumor populations, including patients who may have limited access to specialist care.”

 

At the heart of the initiative is an AI-facilitated digital companion designed to provide patients with access to support around the clock. The system will tailor assistance to individual needs, disease status and personal circumstances, while drawing on clinically reviewed content and defined escalation pathways.

 

The model will also incorporate traceability and audit capabilities, with the aim of ensuring that interactions can be tracked and reviewed. Designed to complement rather than replace healthcare professionals, the companion will extend access to support while keeping nurses and other healthcare providers available when human intervention is needed.

 

The initiative builds on an existing partnership between Merck and Dawn Health to support people living with rare tumors, expanding the effort through the addition of NVIDIA and Microsoft.

 

Each partner will contribute capabilities to develop the proposed patient support ecosystem.

 

NVIDIA will provide AI technologies and services, including NVIDIA Nemotron, NVIDIA Nemotron Reranking open model, NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails, NeMo Relay, NeMo Gym, NeMo Evaluator and NeMo Data Designer, to support the program's performance and safety capabilities.

 

Microsoft will contribute enterprise technology and cloud capabilities, while Dawn Health will bring digital health product development expertise. Merck will contribute its pharmaceutical and clinical knowledge, helping shape a model tailored to the needs of patients navigating complex rare tumor treatment pathways.

 

The partners aim to bring digital interactions, human support services and structured patient data closer together, potentially creating a more comprehensive understanding of how patients' needs change over time.

 

For people living with rare tumors, whose care can involve multiple specialists, complex treatment decisions and fragmented support, the collaboration seeks to address challenges that extend beyond the clinic. Its success will depend on how effectively the proposed model delivers reliable, personalized assistance while maintaining appropriate clinical oversight and access to healthcare professionals.