What's Happening?
Prenosis, a Chicago-based health technology company, has secured $40 million in new funding to advance its precision medicine initiatives. The funding is split evenly between a $20 million Series A round
led by PACE Healthcare Capital and a $20 million federal contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). This financial boost will support the commercial rollout of Sepsis ImmunoScore®, the first FDA-authorized AI diagnostic tool for sepsis, and the development of a comprehensive precision medicine platform for conditions such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The BARDA contract will fund a large-scale randomized controlled trial involving 800 patients to test an AI 'companion diagnostic' that predicts which patients will benefit from corticosteroids, moving away from one-size-fits-all treatment protocols.
Why It's Important?
This development is significant as it represents a major step forward in the field of precision medicine, particularly in critical care. Sepsis, a condition that kills more people annually than all cancers combined, has traditionally been treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and standardized protocols due to a lack of real-time diagnostic tools. Prenosis' AI-driven approach aims to change this by providing personalized treatment options based on individual biological profiles. The successful implementation of these technologies could lead to more effective treatments, reduced healthcare costs, and improved patient outcomes. The integration of Prenosis' platform into up to 40 top academic medical centers across the U.S. could also accelerate the adoption of precision medicine practices nationwide.
What's Next?
Prenosis plans to integrate its Immunix™ platform into a network of academic medical centers, creating a 'precision medicine clinical trial network' capable of rapidly identifying patients with specific biological traits. This infrastructure will facilitate the testing and validation of new diagnostic and treatment tools, potentially leading to broader adoption of precision medicine in critical care settings. The outcomes of the BARDA-funded trial could influence future treatment guidelines and healthcare policies, particularly regarding the use of corticosteroids in treating severe respiratory infections.
