Precigenetics Targets 97% Drug Failure Rate with Real-Time Epigenetic Imaging

Philadelphia-based biotechnology company Precigenetics is spearheading a novel approach to precision medicine, focusing on real-time epigenetic dynamics to revolutionize drug discovery. The company aims to overcome critical limitations in traditional methods by directly visualizing cellular interactions. Founder and CEO Parmita Mishra recently articulated the company's core mission, stating, > "Precigenetics stands for precision epigenetics across time."

Precigenetics employs proprietary optical technologies and advanced quantum optics to perform real-time chemical imaging of live cells. This innovative method allows for the observation and analysis of intricate drug-cell interactions and epigenetic changes within the nucleus without damaging the cells. The company's platform effectively gives AI "eyes," enabling it to witness and analyze the approximately one trillion chemical reactions occurring each second within cells, generating unprecedented data for drug response prediction.

The current drug discovery landscape is often hampered by a stark 97% failure rate for cancer drugs in clinical trials, each costing approximately $2 billion and a decade of research, as highlighted by Mishra in a social media post. Precigenetics' technology directly addresses this by capturing dynamic biological processes that static sequencing methods, which kill cells and provide only "static snapshots," inherently miss. This approach promises to unlock rapid, actionable therapeutic insights, particularly in fighting stem cell-like cancers, with an initial focus on melanoma.

In a significant expansion of its leadership, Precigenetics recently welcomed Dr. Selim Boudoukha as Head of Biology, tasked with accelerating disease modeling and cell biology efforts, leveraging his expertise in iPSCs and rare disease drug discovery. Concurrently, Sasaan Showghi joined to lead hardware innovation, overseeing the development of the Luma facility, a high-throughput screening division slated to launch in Tucson within the next year. These strategic appointments underscore the company's rapid development and commitment to its technological vision.

Founded in 2024, Precigenetics operates as a privately held entity and has secured a pre-seed funding round to fuel its ambitious goals. The company also benefits from an advisory board that includes industry veterans like Christopher C. Whitfield, former CEO of Eli Lilly in Africa. This strategic backing and recent talent acquisition position Precigenetics to further its mission of accelerating precision medicine and making a global impact on drug development.