Dear Cognoa Friends, Family & Colleagues,
It has been a busy 2022 for us at Cognoa. As we continue to grow our reach, we are seeing the tides change in the collective readiness and ability to improve the path to diagnosis for children with developmental delay.
We are in the midst of preparing for U.S. commercialization of our first FDA authorized product, Canvas Dx. We are working thoughtfully and strategically to ensure healthcare providers can prescribe Canvas Dx, equitably and fairly. This involves creating partnerships, funding, and new reimbursement pathways so that providers can act on early developmental concerns and make the early diagnosis of autism more accessible to children and families.
As we returned to in-person medical conferences, each had sessions about the need to improve how we evaluate and treat developmental concern and autism as soon as those concerns arise.
At the AAP’s national conference, we presented new cost savings research that shows all-cause medical costs are double for children with autism who experience a longer time to diagnosis compared with a shorter time to diagnosis. With Canvas Dx, we finally have a way to support diagnosis in primary care and begin to address long-standing disparities—rather than just talking about them.
My specialist colleagues, too, who live the waitlists and are “burning out”, express the need for a new approach, one that allows them to better focus on the children who need them the most.
During this year, we updated the thresholds of the algorithm underlying Canvas Dx, and presented a new analysis of its performance at the AACAP’s national conference. The updated algorithm supports providers to accurately diagnose, or rule out autism, in more children even better than before.
We started generating real world evidence to support adoption, use, and coverage. In collaboration with University of Missouri (MU) ECHO Autism Communities Research Team, we are well underway with a study looking at how Canvas Dx can be integrated into a primary care workflow to help streamline the path to care.
Having served as Chief Medical Officer of Cognoa for several years, I was honored to become CEO of Cognoa in 2022. I am excited to lead the company’s progress with a foundation of my pediatric clinical background and healthtech innovation research, development, and practice experience.
As we near key adoption milestones in 2023, we are committed to continuing to provide the best possible technology and support to children, families, and the healthcare community, and to propel our vision of a world where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Over the next years, we see compelling opportunities to further the indications of our diagnostic AI platform and take next steps in development of our first breakthrough digital therapeutic product.
Together, we can make the value of early diagnosis and interventions a reality. On behalf of the entire Cognoa team, I want to thank you for your support and continued engagement in our progress.
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season, and a healthy, prosperous year ahead,
Sharief Taraman, MD, DABPN, DABPM, FAAP
CEO, Cognoa
Sharief Taraman is CEO of Cognoa and is Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology, Clinical Informatics Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
