For Patients, MRI Results at Prenuvo Are Worth Every Penny.
Dr. Julianne Santarosa, a spinal surgery specialist, discovered a tumor in her lung after paying $2,500 for a full-body MRI at Prenuvo in 2022. Prior to this, her body showed no signs of pain or any issues related to her lungs.
Full-body MRI at Prenuvo. (Photo: Prenuvo)
Many individuals like Santarosa are lining up across Prenuvo’s nine clinics in the U.S. and Canada. The demand for consultations is so high that this five-year-old company based in Silicon Valley announced plans to open 11 more locations in 2024, including in London and Sydney.
Celebrity Kim Kardashian referred to Prenuvo as a “life-saving machine” in an Instagram post in August, which garnered over 3.4 million likes. Prenuvo is backed by actress and model Cindy Crawford, former Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, co-founder of 23andMe – Anne Wojcicki, and founder of Nest Labs – Tony Fadell. In 2022, the company raised $70 million in a funding round led by Felicis Ventures.
Prenuvo’s CEO Andrew Lacy stated that he aims to help customers understand what is happening beneath their skin. The company’s technology can identify over 500 types of diseases, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and brain aneurysms. Currently, patients must pay out of pocket as insurance does not cover these screenings.
For Dr. Santarosa, the MRI results from Prenuvo are worth every cent and even more. Her cancer was detected early, so she did not need chemotherapy or radiation. More importantly, early detection meant her condition was not life-threatening. Santarosa noted that without this screening test, she might have discovered her illness only in its advanced stages.
CEO Andrew Lacy of Prenuvo.
Prenuvo’s MRI machine received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. The machine can scan the entire body in about one hour. After obtaining the images, licensed doctors at the clinic review them, and results are provided to customers within 5 to 10 days.
The waiting list for consultations is extensive. According to the website, the next scanning session in New York is scheduled for March next year. CEO Lacy mentioned that business has surged as Prenuvo’s reputation spreads. In addition to full-body scans, Prenuvo also offers head and torso scans for $1,800 and torso-only scans for $1,000.
Prenuvo is exploring alternative ways to reduce costs through artificial intelligence (AI) and to further decrease scanning times. The CEO indicated that costs will correlate with the duration clients use these expensive machines.
Prenuvo MRI machine.
Radiologists are at the core of Prenuvo’s business. This presents its own challenges. Many radiologists are gradually becoming overwhelmed due to the increasing number of cases. Emerging technologies like AI are causing some younger doctors to shy away from the profession. According to a report from the American Association of Medical Colleges, the U.S. could face a shortage of up to 35,600 radiologists and other specialists by 2034. However, Prenuvo has so far managed to avoid this situation.
Prenuvo is still in the early stages of development. Medical experts advise that, in addition to the high costs, full-body MRI scans may not capture everything and cannot replace specific screening methods such as endoscopy and mammography.
Dr. Jasnit Makkar, an assistant professor of radiology at Columbia University Medical Center, stated that this technology is a useful tool but cannot replace a comprehensive diagnostic examination.
