Superfluid Dx - Leveraging cf-mRNA for early disease detection

SuperfluidDx – Leveraging cf-mRNA for early disease detection

‍

‍At Premji Invest, we are excited to partner with companies that webelieve have uncommon potential. Our evergreen and long duration capital base allows us to make long-term investment decisions, focusing on companies which can create enduring value by tackling hard to solve problems.

‍

In September 2023, Premji Invest partnered with WRQ Sciences for an investment in Superfluid Dx.  Superfluid’s platform technology brings minimally invasive, highly accurate diagnostic tests for early detection of diseases which are not adequately addressed by existing testing options. Superfluid is currently focused on Alzheimer’s Disease(AD), an area with high unmet need in terms of early and accurate diagnosis, with a product which can dramatically improve access to care for patients withAD. Superfluid has made significant progress despite an uncertain environment and we are thrilled to partner with them through the next phase of their journey.

Alzheimer’s is a growing problem due to demographic changes

‍

‍~6.7M Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, asper latest CDC estimates^[i] and expected to increase to ~14M by 2060. Alzheimer’s is a high burden disease with current cost of treatment at $159-215B which expected to increase to $379-500B by 2040. Despite improving treatment options for Alzheimer’s, death rates for the disease are increasing unlike other chronic conditions resulting in it being one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. The condition has a high disease burden, given that patients spend a significant amount in a state of severe disability and dependence, either in nursing homes or with full time caregivers.‍

‍

Early detection can improve patients’ access tocare and eventual outcomes

‍

‍Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease where early detection and intervention can help in arresting cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. The diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease is usually triggered after patients display symptoms indicating cognitive impairment. Further, this requires additional nuerophysical test and imaging along with monitoring the patient over a period of time. While there are approved therapeutics for treatment of early-stage AD and dementia, patient access to these is limited by diagnostic options available today.‍

‍

cf-mRNA provides the ability to identify early onset of diseases

‍

‍Superfluid’s platform is based on isolation of the cell-free mRNA from blood samples combined with bioinformatics which yields actionable insights into organ functions. cf-mRNA based biomarkers can be used to identify changes which can be indicative of early onset diseases. While the company’s early focus is Alzheimer’s disease, the platform is disease agnostic and holds enormous potential for improving diagnostics for other disease types. cf-mRNA based testing can provide physicians with an ability to intervene early, leading to better outcomes for patients and lower healthcare costs across the system. We are incredibly excited to partner with the Superfluid team for this breakthrough platform!

^[i]https://www.cdc.gov/aging/alzheimers-disease-dementia/about-alzheimers.html