Function Health has acquired Ezra and launched a Full Body MRI scan with an AI solution that reduces scan time from one hour to 22 minutes, and the cost from $1,500 to $499.
The move makes annual scanning feasible, providing a comprehensive view of the body and potentially setting a new standard in healthcare.
The integration of Function’s extensive lab testing with Ezra’s AI-powered imaging creates a seamless platform aimed at maintaining lifelong health.
By combining their approaches, the companies have developed a dataset that could enable AI to predict health issues before they manifest, enhancing early detection capabilities.
Function Health co-founder and chief medical officer Mark Hyman: “I wish I could see millions of patients. This is the most powerful approach I’ve seen in my entire career, and for the first time, it can truly scale to millions.
“It’s the new standard of care, if you’re reading this: get your labs, get your scan, every year. It could save and radically improve your life.”
The new 22-minute Full Body MRI is designed to detect cancer early, often before the onset of symptoms.
Beyond cancer, the scan can identify hidden health issues such as silent strokes, which could lead to cognitive decline, and developing aneurysms before they rupture.
Additional scans target spinal issues, early-stage fatty liver disease, and provide detailed body composition analysis.
Function Health co-founder and CEO Jonathan Swerdlin said: “Adding imaging was part of our vision from day one. Our brilliant team first focused on making comprehensive lab testing affordable and widely available.
“Now with Ezra becoming a part of Function, we complete the picture. It’s time everyone owns their health, every year. This is the best use of AI, applying it directly to human life.”
Building on AI’s capabilities, Function Health is establishing a new standard of health by making advanced MRI technology more accessible.
The integration offers a complete view of individual health, combining detailed lab testing with advanced imaging in a single, affordable platform.
Scans are now available for Function members at nearly 100 locations across the US, with plans to expand to over 1,000 locations soon.
Ezra founder Emi Gal said: “I started Ezra with a clear mission: to detect cancer early for everyone in the world. This mission is deeply personal for me, if my mother had detected cancer early, she would still be alive today.
“Over the past six years my team and I have helped countless people find cancer, many of whom are now cancer free. We are now scaling this to millions together with Function.”
Ezra’s FDA-cleared AI technology not only cuts scan time but also aids in visualising early signs of potential cancer and other health conditions before symptoms appear.
The collaboration transforms full body MRI scans from a luxury into an essential healthcare service, priced at $499 instead of $1,500.
Ezra chief scientific advisor Dan Sodickson said: “A single health snapshot is like one frame from a movie, you miss the story. Finally, reducing the cost and scan time of full-body MRI unlocks the ability to capture an annual imaging baseline.
“This longitudinal dataset reveals subtle changes over time that catch immediate issues and can predict disease before symptoms even appear. This fundamentally transforms medicine.”
