In a move that will likely increase its in-house RNA diagnostics capabilities, St. Louis-based RNA sequencing company Cofactor Genomics just acquired San Francisco biomarker development startup Narus Biotechnologies. Financial details weren’t disclosed.
Narus has been searching for biomarkers associated with neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, with the aim to develop RNA-based diagnostics. Cofactor Genomics offers a whole suite of RNA and DNA sequencing capabilities to its customers – including using RNA to diagnose disease.
RNA diagnostics are a compelling approach to detecting and tracking disease: While DNA displays the blueprint of life, as Cofactor puts it, RNA levels in cells are ever changing – and can be very telling of a disease state. The company was profiled in Wired last September:
Cofactor thinks RNA is the missing link. “When most people think about genetic diagnostics testing, they think about DNA,” says [Cofactor CEO Jarrett] Glasscock. But DNA only gives estimates of risk. “If you get a DNA test, the doctor will be able to tell you that instead of a 7 percent chance of cancer, you have a 14 percent chance,” he says. “Also, you have 12 percent chance of male pattern baldness, and you’re 4 percent Neanderthal—and you’re like, ‘No shit, Sherlock! But what’s happening with my tumor?’”
The St. Louis Business Journal says of the deal:
Dave Messina, COO of Cofactor, said the deal will help Cofactor expand into RNA diagnostics and further its plans to develop and deliver RNA-based tests for cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
“We weren’t really actively seeking an acquisition, but we met these guys and it became clear that it was an opportunity we wanted to pursue,” he said.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Cofactor was founded in 2008, as a post-Human Genome Project spinout from Washington University of St. Louis. The company recently was a part of Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator accelerator program.
