LinusBio, a provider in precision exposome sequencing, raised over $16 million in Series A funding to deliver a novel platform that bridges genomics, the environment, and biological response.
Historically, many health conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, have lacked biological tests to aid in diagnosis, monitor progression, or serve as objective endpoints in clinical trials. LinusBio’s proprietary platform introduces precision exposome biomarkers that can facilitate discovery across these domains.
The technology has the potential to fundamentally transform how complex disorders are diagnosed and treated—from autism to gastrointestinal disorders to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to renal disease and cancers, the company says.
Furthermore, the LinusBio platform aims to help improve clinical trials by providing data equal to over 500 liquid biopsies or blood samples, but all from a single strand of hair.
The platform can help identify novel compounds for health conditions where genomic biomarkers have previously had limited success, LinusBio says. The company is already using this platform in two pharma-sponsored trials and is in the process of partnering with several organizations within the healthcare and pharma ecosystem.
The company’s initial focus is on neurological disorders. One of the company’s early technologies, StrandDx-ASD, can assess the likelihood of autism at birth with 80% to 90% accuracy, and assist with personalized treatment decisions.
As a result, LinusBio’s early autism diagnostic aid has been granted an FDA Breakthrough Designation, reserved for innovations that “provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions.” The solution has received CE Mark designation in the European Union as a diagnostic aid.
“Our mission is simple: to deliver better outcomes for people and families affected by complex health conditions,” says Manish Arora, PhD, co-founder and CEO of LinusBio. “We chose to focus on autism first for many considerations, an important one of them is the dramatically different trajectory in cases of an early detection and effective intervention. The impact on the patient and the patient’s family can be substantial. We’re proud to launch the LinusBio platform to meet the tremendous need for better, faster, and comprehensive diagnostics and treatments for a range of conditions and diseases.”
The company’s program pipeline also comprises advanced biomarkers for ALS, oncology (including pediatric cancer), gastroenterology (inflammatory bowel disease) and mental disorders (psychosis & schizophrenia).
The round was led by GreatPoint Ventures and Bow Capital. Other investors included Divergent Investments, Nicole Shanahan (President, Bia-Echo Foundation), the David Bellet Family Office, Gillian Sandler, and Sanford Robertson (Co-Founder of Francisco Partners and former board member of Salesforce), among others.
LinusBio’s technology examines human physiology at the molecular level through a strand of hair. Leveraging proprietary laser and robotics technology, LinusBio analyzes these strands and collects thousands of data points to measure individuals’ biological response to their lifespan environmental exposures. LinusBio is the first technology platform that maps the molecular dynamics of human physiology in a time-dependent manner.
LinusBio’s CEO Arora is an environmental epidemiologist and exposure biologist. He is a recipient of a Presidential PECASE award from the White House, the highest civilian award given to early career scientists. Drs. Christine Austin, PhD, and Paul Curtin, PhD, also co-founded the company and serve on the leadership team.
The funding will be used to grow the LinusBio team, deliver more positive outcomes across more health conditions, and develop a world-class platform that will serve as a central hub for diagnostics and treatment.
