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Kihealth Secures $5M to Commercialize First-of-Its-Kind Beta Cell Apoptosis Diagnostic for Early Diabetes Detection

Precision Medicine
  • Kihealth raised $5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to commercialize its breakthrough laboratory-developed test that measures beta cell apoptosis, the earliest marker of insulin resistance and diabetes.
  • The minimally invasive blood test opens an untapped $2 billion diagnostics market with virtually no direct competitors, enabling earlier detection and intervention before overt disease develops.
  • The diagnostic platform can stratify high-risk individuals in Type 1 diabetes prevention trials and identify patients with rapid beta cell decline in Type 2 diabetes despite normal glucose levels.
  • Kihealth's test won the 2025 ADA Innovation of the Year Award, reflecting its potential to transform preventive medicine and enable more targeted therapeutic interventions.

UC Davis Scientists Develop Precision Gene Therapy for Kaposi's Sarcoma Using Viral "Trojan Horse" Strategy

Precision MedicineTargeted Therapy
  • UC Davis researchers have developed a highly targeted gene therapy that uses an adeno-associated virus to selectively destroy cancer cells infected with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) while sparing healthy tissue.
  • The therapy exploits the viral protein LANA, found only in KSHV-infected cells, to activate a modified thymidine kinase enzyme that converts ganciclovir into a potent cancer-killing agent.
  • Preclinical studies in mouse models demonstrated significant tumor growth reduction with no detectable side effects, offering hope for safer treatment of KSHV-related cancers affecting immunocompromised patients.
  • The research, published in Molecular Therapy Oncology, represents a paradigm shift toward precision oncology by turning the virus's own biology against itself.

Empatica Acquires PKG Health to Advance Digital Parkinson's Disease Monitoring

Precision Medicine
  • Empatica has acquired PKG Health, combining FDA-cleared wearable technology with validated movement disorder algorithms to create a comprehensive Parkinson's disease monitoring solution.
  • PKG Health's algorithms, validated in over 70 peer-reviewed studies, monitor bradykinesia, dyskinesia, tremors, and other movement-related signals across 150 hospitals and clinical sites globally.
  • The acquisition addresses the urgent need for objective Parkinson's measures in clinical trials, where despite a robust drug development pipeline, only limited disease-modifying treatments reach Phase 3.
  • The combined platform aims to serve 10 million people living with Parkinson's worldwide through earlier diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, and improved patient outcomes.

Aerska Raises $21M to Develop RNA Therapies for Brain Diseases Using Novel Delivery Platform

Precision Medicine
  • Irish biotech startup Aerska has secured $21 million in seed funding to develop RNA interference therapies targeting degenerative neurological diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
  • The company's antibody-oligo conjugate platform uses "brain shuttles" to overcome the blood-brain barrier challenge that has limited RNA therapeutics in the central nervous system.
  • Aerska aims to systemically deliver RNA medicines that can silence harmful genes in the brain, potentially treating, delaying, and preventing the onset of neurological diseases.
  • The funding round was co-led by Backed VC, Age1, and Speedinvest, with the company planning to expand operations in Dublin and London while advancing its drug discovery timeline.

Kynexis Initiates Phase 2 Trial of First-in-Class KAT-II Inhibitor for Schizophrenia-Associated Cognitive Impairment

Precision Medicine
  • Kynexis has dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating KYN-5356, a first-in-class KAT-II inhibitor, for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.
  • The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will enroll approximately 150 adults with schizophrenia across 13 U.S. clinical sites over a 28-day treatment period.
  • KYN-5356 demonstrated excellent safety, adequate CNS penetration, and dose-dependent reductions in cerebrospinal fluid kynurenic acid in Phase 1 trials.
  • Topline results from this proof-of-concept study are expected by Q4 2026, addressing an unmet medical need with no currently approved treatments for CIAS.

A Study to Evaluate KYN-5356 in Adults With Cognitive Impairment Associated With Schizophrenia

NCT07191483RecruitingNot Applicable
Kynexis B.V.
Posted 8/27/2025

Inflammatix Publishes Breakthrough Sepsis Research in Nature Medicine, Validates AI-Powered TriVerity Test

AIPrecision Medicine
  • Inflammatix published three landmark studies in Nature Medicine that redefine sepsis diagnosis and treatment through AI-powered immune profiling and consensus frameworks.
  • The SEPSIS-SHIELD study validated TriVerity's ability to distinguish bacterial from viral infections and predict illness severity in over 1,200 patients with high sensitivity and specificity.
  • Two new consensus frameworks, HI-DEF and CTS, identified distinct immunological states in sepsis patients, with dysregulated patients showing 5-7 times higher mortality risk.
  • TriVerity received FDA 510(k) clearance in January 2025 and delivers results in 30 minutes to guide emergency department triage decisions.

TriVerity in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Emergency Department Patients With Suspected Infections and Suspected Sepsis

NCT04094818Completed
Inflammatix
Posted 2/28/2020

Lunai Bioworks Advances AI-Powered Parkinson's Biomarker Discovery Program for Strategic Pharma Partnerships

AIPrecision MedicineDrug Discovery
  • Lunai Bioworks has advanced its preclinical biomarker discovery program for Parkinson's Disease using its subsidiary BioSymetrics' proprietary Augusta Platform, positioning the initiative for strategic pharmaceutical partnerships.
  • The program leverages phenogrouping technology to identify distinct patient subtypes with greater precision, enabling targeted therapeutic development in a market affecting over 10 million people globally.
  • The company's approach has received validation through a competitive STTR grant from the National Institutes of Health and recognition from the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
  • With Parkinson's incidence expected to double by 2050, the expanding patient population represents a significant unmet medical need and compelling opportunity for therapeutic innovation.

ReCODE Precision Medicine Protocol Shows Dual Benefits for Cognitive Decline and Depression

Precision Medicine
  • A new preprint study of 170 patients found the ReCODE precision medicine protocol reduced depression scores by an average of 3.96 points on the PHQ-9 scale after 31 days of treatment.
  • The multitherapeutic approach targets underlying factors like inflammation, insulin resistance, and toxin exposure that contribute to both cognitive decline and depression in Alzheimer's disease patients.
  • Patients with more severe initial depression showed the greatest improvements, with participants moving from moderate depression to mild depression on average.
  • The findings suggest depression may be a modifiable contributor to Alzheimer's disease progression rather than merely a consequence of neurodegeneration.

Monash University Researchers Develop Entelli-02 Phage Cocktail to Combat Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterobacter Infections

Precision Medicine
  • Researchers from Monash University and The Alfred Hospital have developed Entelli-02, a five-phage cocktail specifically designed to target Enterobacter cloacae complex bacteria, which caused over 200,000 deaths globally in 2019.
  • The therapeutic-grade phage product achieved over 99% reduction in bacterial loads in preclinical murine models and is manufactured to meet sterility standards for intravenous use under Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration.
  • Entelli-02 represents the first clinical-ready phage therapy product tailored to an antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogen at a local hospital level, now available for compassionate use.
  • The hospital-specific phage cocktail model provides a blueprint for precision medicine approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance outbreaks in healthcare settings worldwide.

FYR Bio Secures $8 Million to Advance Blood-Based Biomarkers for Brain Cancer and Neurodegeneration

Precision MedicineAI
  • FYR Bio closed an $8 million funding round led by The Sontag Innovation Fund and Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation to advance blood-based biomarker development for oncology and neuroscience applications.
  • The company's EVO platform demonstrated 100% specificity and 89% sensitivity in distinguishing adult malignant gliomas from healthy controls using brain-derived extracellular vesicles.
  • Funding will accelerate expansion into neuro-oncology and neurodegeneration programs, including Parkinson's disease biomarker development for patient stratification.
  • The platform leverages proprietary SPARCs technology to enrich extracellular vesicles from diseased cells using simple blood draws for precision medicine applications.

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