This startup offers a drug discovery platform using 3D tissue technology to identify disease-driving genes and pathways. Their analysis aims to develop drugs for various therapeutic areas, initially focusing on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Funding
$1M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional drug discovery methods often rely on animal models that fail to accurately replicate human disease, leading to clinical trial failures and hindering the development of effective treatments. This is particularly challenging in complex diseases like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), where species differences significantly impact disease progression and drug response.
Solution
Viscient Biosciences is developing drugs using 3D human tissue models and multi-omics analysis to more accurately identify disease-driving genes and pathways. Their approach replaces outdated animal models with complex, three-dimensional models comprised of human cells, providing a more faithful representation of human disease in vitro. By integrating genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, Viscient aims to detect key genes and pathways that drive disease progression, enabling the development of targeted therapies with a higher likelihood of clinical success. They have already progressed one drug to the preclinical level and are preparing it for Phase 1 studies, with a second drug being in-licensed for Phase 2 studies in 2024.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes pharmaceutical companies and research institutions seeking more accurate and effective drug discovery methods, particularly for complex diseases with high unmet medical needs like NASH.
Features
- Utilizes 3D human tissue models to replicate human disease biology in vitro
- Employs multi-omics analysis (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) to identify disease-driving genes and pathways
- Focuses on identifying novel disease-driver gene targets for drug development
- Has developed one drug from start to the preclinical level, preparing for Phase 1 studies
- In-licensing a second drug for Phase 2 studies in 2024
- Liver model shows known disease patterns by microscopy and gene expression, as published in The American Journal of Pathology