A Wynnewood biotech company founded by one of the region’s most accomplished cancer researchers is betting that artificial intelligence could transform how cancer is detected and treated, writes John George for The Philadelphia Business Journal.
A New Kind of Cancer Diagnostics Company
StromaGenesis, founded by physician-scientist Dr. Richard Pestell, is seeking to raise $10 million in Series A funding as it moves from a research-focused operation toward commercializing a new generation of cancer diagnostic tools.
According to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the company has already raised $175,000 toward its fundraising goal.
The company focuses on a proprietary artificial intelligence platform known as StromaAI, which analyzes large volumes of biological and pathology data to identify patterns that may improve cancer detection and treatment decisions.
StromaGenesis headquarters are in Wynnewood and operate from the Lankenau Medical Office Building.
Three Tests. One Mission.
Three diagnostic products are currently in development. The first, called ProstaGene, uses a proprietary algorithm to evaluate 14 genes associated with prostate cancer. This helps to determine a patient’s risk of developing the disease or experiencing a recurrence after treatment.
Another test, the CCR5 Companion Diagnostic, identifies cancer patients most likely to benefit from certain targeted therapies.
A third platform, also called StromaGenesis, aims to predict treatment responses across multiple cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, and glioblastoma.
The Founder Behind the Science
Pestell is no stranger to launching biotech ventures. The former director of Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center previously founded ProstaGene. That was acquired in 2018, along with Wynnewood-based companies LightSeed and EcoGenome.
He also serves as a professor at both the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in Doylestown.
What’s at Stake
If successful, StromaGenesis could become one of the region’s latest examples of how medicine applies artificial intelligence to some of the most complex challenges.
Read more about Dr. Richard Pestell and the Wynnewood biotech firm’s AI strategy in The Philadelphia Business Journal.
