CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - Jan 7, 2014) - Selventa today announced that it has been issued United States Patent, No. 8,594,941, which covers a system, method and apparatus for causal implication analysis in biological networks. The patent covers both reverse and forward causal reasoning, and, in particular, describes automated reasoning techniques that process networks of causal relationships to formulate hypotheses and evaluate those hypotheses against data sets of differential measurements. Each hypothesis links a biological entity to measurable quantities that it can influence (i.e., potential biomarkers), which is a key component of Selventa's Systems Diagnostics (SysDx™) approach to achieving precision medicine. Selventa's first SysDx product, ClarifyRA, is a predictive test for response to anti-TNF therapies in rheumatoid arthritis.
"This IP coverage critically protects a core piece of Selventa's competitive advantage in the market -- our unique analytical framework to perform SysDx," said Dr. David de Graaf, CEO of Selventa. "SysDx identifies a multi-parameter panel of biomarkers that can help clinicians to more accurately diagnose a patient's disease, and response or non-response to a given therapy. The SysDx tests that we are developing, such as ClarifyRA, will be able to provide a more detailed and complete picture of patient's disease than current tests that are largely limited to the analyses of genetic aberrations."
The molecular drivers of disease are manifested across thousands of interacting biological entities, so it is vital that a diagnostic be able to test for a more comprehensive set of disease-relevant biomarkers. Selventa's SysDx works by analyzing a holistic range of a patient's molecular information (e.g., genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and electronic medical record information) to stratify patients for their likelihood of response to a particular therapy. SysDx is already used by several large pharmaceutical companies to develop companion diagnostics (CDx) that match patients to their drugs.
About System Diagnostics (SysDx)
SysDx testing is a much needed progression from 'single-omic' tests that today are largely limited to the analyses of genetic aberrations in a patient's disease. As the molecular drivers of disease are intertwined across thousands of interacting biological entities, it is vital that a diagnostic be able to test for a more comprehensive set of disease-relevant biomarkers. SysDx testing, such as ClarifyRA, promises to capture a more detailed profile of a patient's disease leading to superior predictive and prognostic healthcare decisions.
About Selventa
Selventa is pioneering the development of Systems Diagnostics (SysDx™). This novel approach to diagnostic development harnesses a comprehensive range of complex, biological information (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, electronic medical records) to generate a clinically relevant dashboard that physicians, patients and researchers can use to make an optimal treatment decision or stratify patient populations.
SysDx tests, including ClarifyRA, are enabled by Selventa's "Big Data" analytics engine that integrates, processes, and analyzes the molecular information from thousands of patients to identify biomarkers linked to disease-driving mechanisms. SysDx tests are differentiated by their ability to capture a holistic picture of a patient's disease and drug-response profile. This is in contrasts to MDx tests that are limited by their focus on a particular class of biological analytes (e.g. genomics-only tests). This superior predictive and prognostic value is required in the diagnosis of complex multi-factorial diseases such as autoimmune disease and cancer.
For more information, visit www.selventa.com
Contact Information:
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Matthews
Selventa
Constantine Theodoropulos
Base Pair Group
www.basepairgroup.com