MultiOmic Health, an AI-enabled drug discovery company, has announced the discovery of novel patient endotypes and proprietary biomarkers for diabetic kidney disease (DKD). This breakthrough allows for precise segmentation of DKD patients based on their disease progression, marking a significant step forward in precision medicine for DKD.
AI-Driven Insights into DKD
MultiOmic's computational platform integrates human datasets with advanced machine learning algorithms to extract disease-specific insights. In collaboration with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, MultiOmic analyzed biosamples and longitudinal clinical data from the Salford Kidney Study, identifying previously unpublished clinical phenotypes with distinct molecular signatures. These endotypes represent patient groups with similar disease progression patterns and consistent molecular signatures.
"The discovery of these biomarkers marks a significant milestone in our mission to advance precision medicine for serious complications of metabolic dysfunction," said Robert Thong, CEO of MultiOmic Health. "Our ability to identify patient endotypes and predict different progression rates and timelines at an early stage of the disease will help enable a shift from reactive to proactive care."
Predictive Biomarker Models
MultiOmic has developed AI-enabled biomarker models that can predict a patient's endotype at the onset of their disease using a small set of clinical and molecular input parameters. These models have demonstrated superior performance compared to existing prognostic tools for chronic kidney conditions. The biomarker models were corroborated by applying them to predict DKD patient endotypes from UK Biobank data and examining the clinical outcome trajectories of those predictions.
Implications for Clinical Trials and Patient Care
The identification of these biomarkers has the potential to transform the economics and success rates of DKD trials by enabling targeted patient selection. Furthermore, MultiOmic's biomarkers could be developed into companion diagnostics for precision medicines and clinical diagnostic products to support clinician decision-making.
Professor Philip Kalra, Director of Research & Innovation and Consultant Nephrologist at Salford Royal in the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, stated, "MultiOmic’s work represents some of the most innovative and powerful findings to be derived from the Salford Kidney Study... These results will not only deepen the scientific understanding of chronic kidney complications in diabetic patients but also have the potential to engender a vast improvement in DKD patient care by helping physicians determine the right treatment strategy for each patient – a big step towards personalised medicine."
Dr. Richard Nkulikiyinka, formerly Vice-President and Head of Therapeutic Area Cardiology, Nephrology & Pulmonology at Bayer AG, added, "These discoveries will be a game-changer for clinical trial conduct in chronic kidney disease, enabling shorter and leaner programmes that can still deliver robust evidence of treatment effects... The distinct omics signatures of each endotype also have the potential to lead to the discovery of unique and more effective treatment approaches for each corresponding patient subpopulation."
Future Directions
MultiOmic is currently filing patents for its biomarker tools and is initiating a validation study in another patient cohort. A paper will be prepared for journal submission in 2025. The company is also focused on identifying and validating novel drug targets that can be modulated to treat specific patient endotypes. MultiOmic plans to expand its work into other chronic renal conditions and complications associated with diabetic and metabolic dysfunction.
