Biomarker-ru

2020: Attraction of $3.5 million for development of the test for early diagnosis of a breast cancer

On September 17, 2020 the Biomarker-ru company reported that it closed a round And of $3.5 million on development and promotion of ARNA Breast. The lead investor acted Xploration Capital venture fund of Igor Kim and Evgeny Timko.

According to the company, Biomarker-ra develops test systems for early detection of oncological diseases of method of detection of specific fragments of nucleinic acids in blood plasma.

Project team. The first (sits) at the left: A.A. Melnikov. Behind the back of the father, the fourth at the left - Egor Melnikov

Within the research conducted based on I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, the ARNA Breast test showed accuracy more than 90%.

ARNA Breast - the first of a product line with which Biomarker-ra begins expansion to the world markets. The raised funds will be allocated for further clinical trials in Russia and also in EU countries and the USA. In plans of the company entry into the markets of India and China. Also in the nearest future Biomarker-ra is going to develop tests for diagnosis of cancer of stomach, one of forms of a pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer.

Negotiations on the transaction were conducted long. Pre-seed, seed, pre-A were given easier, than a round And. While "typed cones", works of the scientific concept obtained the evidence, took place dyyu-dilidzhens hammered together a command. In many respects it defined result. Egor Melnikov, the founder and the company executive told Biomarker-ra

At Biomarker-ra an interesting development approach and to implementation of tests based on a liquid biopsy for recognition of cancer and tracking of reaction of a disease to therapy. A liquid biopsy noninvasive and inexpensive therefore it with high probability will receive wide scope of application in diagnostic tests. Charlz R. Kantor, the molecular geneticist, the director of the center of perspective biotechnologies of Boston University, the invited professor of the conducting universities of Russia and the USA told

Annually in the world more than 18 million cases of cancer are registered. Success of treatment directly depends on early identification of a malignant new growth. In this regard we are very glad to success of our participant – Biomarker-ru company which developed the test for early screening of cancer and we hope that the project successfully and quickly will pass all stages necessary for implementation of this development in clinical practice. Natalya Polushkina, the vice president, the chief executive Klastera of biomedical technologies of Skolkovo Foundation reported

According to the solution of the company, the participant Skolkovo will have exclusive rights in the territory of the CIS on commercialization and implementation of all project developments of ARNA Genomics.  According to Melnikov, the strategy of the company is in localizing intellectual property in parent company, and the regional participants having operational business to give exclusive rights. In India, China and other countries the company is going to create joint ventures.

As Egor Melnikov reported on September 17, 2020, recently "road map" which it filled out seven years ago at submission of documents in Skolkovo caught sight to him. There it was necessary to designate key milestones of development of the project in five tracks: research and development, commercialization of a product, command, fundraising and IP.

It turned out that executed the program for all tracks planned till today, except for one - fundraising. We reached all target indicators which put before themselves, at the same time - without attracting money — he told.

As note in Skolkovo, diagnostic tests of such quality and such accuracy as at Biomarker-ru company, just is not present in the world market. And the need for them is huge. The Breast Cancer (BC) – one of the main causes of death at women; every eighth woman for the life faces this disease. Annually in the USA fix 1.7 million new cases of diseases, in Russia – 0.6 million.^[1]

The ARNA project (a trademark of the company, literally Analysis of Ratio of Nucleic Acids) has the solid scientific base that confirmed clinical trial of Proof of concept at the Sechenovsky university with participation of 80 patients. The director of the center of the personalized medicine, professor-oncologist Marina Igorevna Sekachyova gave two reports on the ARNA method and results of a research with the Sechenovsky university on XXII and XXIII Russian onkokongressa.

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