Massive Bio, FOMAT Partner on AI Cancer Trial Prescreening

Massive Bio, a precision oncology company that uses artificial intelligence to match cancer patients with clinical trials, has partnered with the research organization FOMAT to automate patient prescreening across FOMAT's community-based physician network, the companies said.

The collaboration began in June 2026 as a pilot project. It applies Massive Bio's AI platform to patient profiles within FOMAT's network to identify individuals who may qualify for oncology trials, a step both companies describe as a persistent bottleneck in getting patients enrolled.

Automating a slow, manual step

Prescreening, the process of reviewing patient records against the eligibility criteria of a given study, is typically done by hand and can be time-consuming and uneven in quality. That friction contributes to low participation: the U.S. National Cancer Institute notes that only a small share of adult cancer patients take part in clinical trials, even as studies depend on enrollment to advance new treatments.

By automating the initial match, the partners say they aim to surface trial options earlier in a patient's care. "Connecting cancer patients to the right clinical trials at the right time is at the heart of what we do," said Selin Kurnaz, co-founder and chief executive of Massive Bio. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, the company's co-founder and chief medical AI officer, said prescreening has historically been "manual, slow, and inconsistent."

Reaching community oncology

FOMAT, based in Oxnard, California, describes itself as the largest U.S. embedded research organization and operates more than 40 investigator sites across six states, with a focus on diverse and historically underserved populations. In May 2026 it acquired the research unit of Topography Health, expanding its footprint in community settings where most cancer patients are treated but where clinical trial access is often limited.

Toygun Rauf Onaran, Massive Bio's senior vice president of U.S. provider engagement and partnerships, said the pilot targets that community-based oncology footprint. Nicholas Focil, chief executive of FOMAT, said the effort "brings together innovative AI technology and embedded research model to identify trial opportunities."

Part of a wider push

The FOMAT pilot adds to a series of alliances for Massive Bio, which is based in Boca Raton, Florida, and says it operates across 17 markets and has facilitated more than 19,000 clinical trial matches. The company has received the Digital Medicine Society's DiMe Seal and is listed in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare app library, which serves more than 68 million beneficiaries.

The companies did not disclose financial terms or a timeline for expanding the program beyond the pilot stage. Neither detailed how many patients the initial phase is expected to screen.