Previse, formerly known as Capsulomics, Inc., announced the closing of a $3 million seed round and the launch of its first laboratory-developed test, EsopredictTM.
With a five-year survival rate of 20% after diagnosis, esophageal cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in the world. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 21,560 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2023, with 16,120 people dying from the disease. To improve survival, it is critical to identify which patients with Barrett’s esophagus will progress to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal cancer in the future.
Previse is offering EsopredictTM, a precision medicine solution that allows gastroenterologists to provide a tailored approach to Barrett’s esophagus treatment, to address this critical unmet medical need.
EsopredictTM provides timely and accurate risk predictions over a 5-year time horizon and detects changes in the DNA methylation levels of four genes using a sample of a patient’s Barrett’s esophagus cells to generate the EsoscoreTM report.
The EsoscoreTM assesses a patient’s future risk of developing esophageal cancer and will assist gastroenterologists in determining the appropriate treatment, steps, and surveillance requirements for their Barrett’s esophagus patients.
Previse also raised a $3M seed round, with participation from TEDCO, Wexford Science and Technology, Riptide Ventures, Gaingels, and numerous angel investors, in addition to launching EsopredictTM.
Previse is on a mission to save lives through the earlier detection and prevention of cancer, starting with esophageal cancer. They are actively working to get patients and healthcare providers the answers they need sooner by understanding and unlocking the power of biomarkers on cancer development and severity. Previse’s technology was made possible by grants from the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) and developed after decades of research by the GI Early Detection Biomarker Lab at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.