Finalists for the innovation prize

Two innovative companies and one hospital collaboration have been shortlisted for the Norwegian Cancer Society Innovation Prize 2025.

The winner will receive 300,000 NOK.

All nominations were evaluated by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Cancer Society. The committee based its selection on three key criteria:

• Innovative capacity and ability to successfully deliver a product or service that benefits cancer patients
• Documented positive impact for cancer patients
• National and/or international recognition of their work

This year’s finalists are Photocure, DoMore Diagnostics, and InPreD.

Photocure ASA

Photocure ASA is a Norwegian pharmaceutical company that has developed the drug Cysview/Hexvix, which is used during blue light cystoscopy to more accurately detect bladder cancer than traditional methods. The technology causes cancer cells to fluoresce under blue light, enabling earlier tumour detection and leading to better cancer management decisions. Photocure has established itself as a leading player in the rapidly developing precision diagnostics market for bladder cancer detection, staging, and treatment.

The committee particularly emphasised that this is a company demonstrating strong innovative capacity with new concepts, and that it has shown that it is possible in Norway to develop new medical cancer concepts, enter major international agreements, keep the company publicly listed in Norway, bring products to market, and continue its innovative drive through ongoing research and development.

Although the innovation is now maturing, it has had — and continues to have — a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of patients worldwide.

«At Photocure we have leveraged innovative technologies to enhance bladder cancer diagnostics for two decades, so we are very excited to be considered for this Cancer Society Innovation Prize,» said Anders Neijber, Photocure’s Chief Medical Officer.

«Building on our success and expertise in bladder cancer diagnostics, we aim to gradually create a suite of complementary precision diagnostic solutions to address the evolving needs of patients, physicians, and the broader healthcare community. We are currently working on a development program in collaboration with an AI expert company to develop the next-generation AI-enabled blue light cystoscopy,» said Neijber, and added:

«In general, the pharmaceutical advancements in bladder cancer, with emerging immune and gene therapies, are transforming care. This requires a more precise diagnosis to better select patients, predict and monitor treatment response, and thus ensure the right treatment for the individual patient. Photocure is uniquely positioned and committed to driving progress in uro-oncology precision diagnostics,» said Neijber.

DoMore Diagnostics

DoMore Diagnostics develops artificial intelligence-based tools to improve cancer diagnostics and personalised treatment. Originating from research at Oslo University Hospital, the company collaborates internationally to bring cutting-edge, research-based solutions into clinical practice.

Its first product, Histotype Px Colorectal, is a CE-marked digital biomarker that analyses tissue samples from colorectal cancer to predict prognosis and determine which patients will benefit from chemotherapy after surgery. This helps reduce overtreatment, minimise side effects, and make healthcare more efficient.

The committee commended DoMore Diagnostics for developing an advanced AI tool based on data from thousands of patients — a valuable contribution to improving cancer treatment.

«There is an incredible amount of exciting progress happening that can give cancer patients better survival rates and a higher quality of life. But the road to bringing new innovations to patients is long and costly, and unfortunately, many good innovations fail along the way,” said Torbjørn Furuseth, CEO and co-founder, DoMore Diagnostics.

«The threshold for adopting and purchasing new innovations must be lowered. Politicians, leaders, healthcare professionals, and patients can all help make that happen,» Furuseth added.

InPreD

InPreD stands for Infrastructure for Precision Diagnostics in Cancer, and is a collaboration between Norway’s six university hospitals, established in 2019 to build a shared national platform for advanced cancer diagnostics.

Through InPreD, cancer patients gain access to extended gene panel analyses and other advanced tests when standard treatment is no longer effective. The results help identify new treatment options, including eligibility for clinical trials.

InPreD ensures equal access to advanced diagnostics across the country, accelerates the adoption of new methods, and strengthens Norway’s position in precision medicine.

The committee highlighted that InPreD has fundamentally improved conditions for cancer research in Norway, opening new opportunities for innovation and patient benefit by providing access to advanced cancer diagnostics.

«When asked, what do you believe is needed to bring innovation to cancer patients, our immediate response would be that it was necessary to establish an entirely new structure within the university hospitals, which we call experimental diagnostics. At Oslo University Hospital, this became a dedicated section in 2019, and from here we now coordinate the interregional initiative InPreD,» said Hege Russnes, coordinator of InPreD. She is also a professor and head of section for experimental pathology and research support at Oslo University Hospital.

«InPreD focuses on establishing and testing new diagnostic methods required for clinical trials — whether to identify patients or to stratify them into different treatment arms within various studies. We have built a multidisciplinary expert environment that bridges research, diagnostics, and patient care. This has enabled us to develop and implement new diagnostic routines, bioinformatic tools, logistical solutions, and standardised reporting systems,» said Russnes, and elaborated:

«Central to this effort is our national, virtual tumour board, Mol-MDT, which has a truly unique design. Through this, we bring both external innovations and our own directly to patients, as hospitals, through InPreD, offer tailored diagnostics to assess eligibility for experimental treatment. So far, more than 3,000 patients have gone through this process, and for over 20% it has provided the opportunity to take part in a clinical treatment study.»

10th anniversary celebration

The winner of the Norwegian Cancer Society Innovation Prize 2025 will be announced on 27 November during the 10th anniversary celebration of Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park and the official opening of John Ugelstad’s House.

See the program here