Each year 9 million of people die of cancer. 4 million of these are preventable deaths, if we had early stage detection methods. The 3 founders of Micronoma are world renowned microbiome experts from UC San Diego. They moved away from current mostly human and tumor centric approach and discovered that tumors can be detected specifically and sensitively, even in its early stages, by using liquid biopsy targeting tumor microbial markers. Micronoma is dedicated to reduce the number of cancer preventable deaths with their novel tumor detection solutions.
Current Status
We are early stage and currently closing our first seed funding to be able to fully spin out of UC San Diego and start developing our lab test under CLIA services program. We expect to be in full operation in August.
Market
First 2 years will be focused on oncologists, pulmonologists and cancer centers in USA and EU. We will expand to the rest of the world starting in year 3 by partnering with local diagnostic service providers.
Problem or Opportunity
Clinical trial utility are expensive so we are taking a one cancer detection at a time approach. If we were able to get a larger amount of funding we can apply the same solution on at least 20 different cancer types simultaneously from one simple blood samples.
Solution (product or service)
Within the first 2 years, we will first reach north american and european market with a laboratory developed test perform in CLIA labs. We will then later deploy our offering under regulatory approved (PMA or CE IVD certification) more globally
Competitors
Liquid Biopsy (from Guardant or Foundation Medicine) are the closest competitors we would have already commercially available. Grail or Thrive are currently having projects in development but much like the 2 previous companies they focus on tumor or somatic markers which likely explain their lack of sensitivity and specificity, specifically in early stage of cancer.
Advantages or differentiators
1- detect cancer in stage 1 or 2 to reduce preventable death 2- cancer specific - the test doesn't tell you if you have a marker of any cancer but rather specifically if you are a marker for lung cancer for example
Finance
Revenues are schedule to happen by end of year 2, and we expect to be cash flow positive by year 4.
Business model
We are going to offer our test to cancer centers, oncologists and pulmonologists, who will prescribe the test and provide us with a blood sample of patient to be tested.
