Chosen Diagnostics is announced it has received a $224,758 Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for development and commercialization of its biomarker for noninvasive detection of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a disease primarily seen in preterm infants. The test, invented by Sunyoung Kim, PhD, chief executive officer of Chosen Diagnostics and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, aims to (through noninvasive measures) identify preterm infants most at risk for NEC, to then facilitate personalized care and treatment including management of feeding and antibiotic regimens. Chosen Diagnostics Chief Operating Officer and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, Rebecca Buckley, PhD, will lead research activities at LSU Health.
Necrotizing enterocolitis is a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease, which occurs when tissues in the large intestine are damaged or die as a result of inflammation. Bacteria from the intestinal tract can then leak into the abdomen causing serious infections and/or death. Primarily occurring in preterm or medically fragile infants, NEC impacts more than 6,000 babies a year in the United States alone and has a fatality rate of up to 50 percent.
“By substantially improving the diagnosis of this disease, our hope is that this biomarker will assist in a decreased mortality rate of infants impacted by necrotizing enterocolitis, and, allow us to reduce the life-long health complications for survivors,” said Kim. “Of note, the non-invasive format of our diagnostic test, necessary for fragile neonates, affords seamless integration into existing pathology lab workflows, ultimately enabling reduced hospital stays and decreased healthcare costs.”