PORTLAND, Maine — The University of New England (UNE) recently signed its first intellectual property license agreement with Satya Diagnostics – a company that recently received $100,000 in MaineHealth Bonfire Funding to help it achieve its goal of improving cancer detection and treatment in communities across the world.
The newly licensed technology, a novel blood-based biomarker test, was developed by UNE researcher Srinidi Mohan, Ph.D., in collaboration with MaineHealth clinician Susan Miesfeldt, MD, and aims to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment for patients with aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Research indicates that more than 9 in 10 women with breast cancer survive for five or more years when diagnosed at the earliest stage, but this survival rate plummets to just 3 in 10 when the cancer is caught in more advanced stages. Treatment decision-making for breast cancer, especially for aggressive forms of the disease, is limited by the inability to quickly determine treatment effectiveness and optimize care – an issue this technology can solve.
The licensed technology centers on the use of the biomarker Nw-hydroxy-L-Arginine, or NOHA, to determine the presence of high-risk cancers, allowing for timelier disease control through blood testing to monitor and manage treatment of aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer – a disease difficult to detect in its earliest stages.
“The NOHA assay could play a transformative role in cancer care, with likely utility in early detection, treatment response monitoring, and long-term surveillance, collectively aimed at improving the outcome of those facing a cancer diagnosis,” voiced Miesfeldt. “As an easy-to-use blood test, it has very promising global applications.”
“This licensing agreement with Satya Diagnostics brings us one step closer to making this technology available to patients who need it most,” Mohan said, noting that rural communities more often see disparities in identifying and treating cancer. “It’s a testament to how multi-disciplinary, faculty-driven translational research has turned a lab project into a groundbreaking initiative that could profoundly improve lives.”
MaineHealth’s Bonfire Funding will allow Satya Diagnostics to expand clinical testing with a goal of receiving Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the test. If successful, it will lower the cost of care for patients with a more precise diagnosis that directs them toward more effective treatments. Bonfire Funding, created by MaineHealth in 2021 as part of its not-for-profit mission of researching new ways to provide care, helps MaineHealth care team members foster and accelerate innovations to the point where additional external funding can be secured.
“MaineHealth Bonfire Funding is a game-changer for our company,” said Satya Diagnostics CEO Rives Bird. “We are grateful for the confidence MaineHealth has shown in not only the groundbreaking science we are advancing but also in the exceptional team we have in place to bring this technology to market. This marks our first non-dilutive capital from a life sciences fund, and we are excited to continue building on this momentum, keeping our seed round open with a target raise of $500,000.”
Prior to receiving Bonfire Funding, Mohan and Miesfeldt conducted foundational clinical trials at the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network with funding from the Maine Cancer Foundation. MaineHealth, in collaboration with UNE, supported Satya Diagnostics with guidance from its intellectual property and business development committee and connected the team with experts from the finance department, clinical trials office, and MaineHealth NorDx clinical laboratory to help them develop their ideas into a company.
“The development we’re seeing from Satya Diagnostics demonstrates what can happen when individuals and institutions in our community work together to address an unmet care need,” said MaineHealth Vice President of Innovation Susan Ahern. “The collaboration we’ve seen in this project exemplifies the MaineHealth vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.”
Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., UNE vice president for research, said that UNE’s decision to license its technology to Satya marks a culmination of years of dedicated research and aligns with UNE’s strategy and growing prominence as a hub of biotechnology research in Maine.
“By bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application, this work not only advances scientific knowledge but also has the potential to improve patient outcomes globally,” said Houseknecht, a nationally renowned pharmacologist who works in novel drug discovery herself.
“This cancer detection tool has the potential to benefit individuals regardless of their economic status,” said Mohan, adding that this tool could be used in rural, underserved areas where cancer management resources are often not readily available.
For more information about UNE’s research initiatives, visit www.une.edu/research. To learn more about MaineHealth Innovation, visit innovation.mainehealth.org.