Discovery data demonstrates strong sensitivity and specificity in detecting active disease across six different types of substance use disorder
FRAMINGHAM, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 8, 2025 / Ignite Biomedical, Inc. ("Ignite"), a leader in AI-driven biomarker innovation for precision medicine, along with Liquid Biosciences ("Liquid"), today announced the discovery of biomarkers to diagnose substance use disorder (SUD). This achievement underscores Ignite's ability to leverage their technology to expand into areas of medicine beyond inflammatory disease, while maintaining their focus on those disease states with a tremendous unmet need and public health impact. Development of a test evaluating these newly identified biomarkers is planned to begin within the next six months, kicking off with the process of analytical validation. Following the achievement of that milestone, the company plans to launch clinical studies to evaluate the test's accuracy in patients battling SUD.
Ignite's diagnostic test will be designed to detect the presence of active disease in patients with opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use disorders. In partnership with Liquid, the team has identified a core set of biomarkers, some of which have not previously been associated with addiction and span all six SUDs mentioned above. This breakthrough discovery marks a groundbreaking achievement in our understanding of addiction, including its core biological underpinnings, and may eventually lead to the identification of new therapeutic drug targets.
Reducing the Stigma of Addiction
Ignite's SUD diagnostic test aims to help clinicians more accurately diagnose addictive disease and will also help reduce the stigma that prevents so many from seeking treatment. "Only about 16% of those with SUD receive treatment," said Jake Nichols, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Ignite, who is in long-term recovery himself. "When we examine the reasons cited, stigma always rises to the top of the list. In addition, many do not feel the need to seek care, as they do not accept that addiction is a disease. It is our hope that this objective and rapid test will help the healthcare system, as well as those with SUD, acknowledge the presence of a disease which can be effectively treated."
Early Diagnosis is Essential for Optimizing Treatment
Early diagnosis of SUD can prevent long-term complications that frequently arise. "Diagnosing addictive disease has always been based upon identification of behavioral issues related to substance use," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Ignite. "This results in diagnoses being determined quite late in the disease course. With Ignite's new diagnostic, early identification and more economic means of intervening and treating are now possible prior to any severe disease consequences taking place. Remarkably, these new data also suggest why an individual might primarily use one substance rather than another. Although studies dating from the 1970s indicated a biologic origin of such outcomes, findings now indicate what biologic mechanisms are likely in play."
About Ignite Biomedical
Ignite Biomedical is at the forefront of AI-driven biomarker discovery and development for precision medicine. The company's flagship product, the Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Treatment Response Predictor (TNFi TRP), is designed to identify patient responders and non-responders to TNFi therapy. Ignite's broader pipeline targets areas of unmet medical need, including immunology, behavioral health, and substance use disorders.
Our scientific and commercialization approach is designed to accurately discover and develop algorithmic biomarkers, which can be used to develop diagnostics, TRPs, and potential drug targets. Across all FDA approved products, only 36% respond to therapy, leaving 64% of patients facing risk of side effects and financial burden with no clinical benefit. Treatment non-response accounts for over $1 Trillion annually in wasted healthcare spending. Our mission is to alleviate this healthcare problem by commercializing diagnostics and TRPs to facilitate accurate diagnosis and better inform individualized drug therapy decisions.
For more information, visit https://www.ignitebiomedical.com/.
About Liquid Biosciences
Liquid Biosciences is the leader in quantitative AI for diagnostics and pharma. The company's Emerge quantitative AI platform agnostically discovers and models the nonlinear dynamics of biology, behavior, and circumstances that drive patient outcomes. Liquid Biosciences has completed over three hundred major analytic programs across sixty diseases, including the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic biomarker panels for more than twenty diseases.
For more information, visit http://www.liquidbiosciences.com
Forward-Looking Statements
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Investor & Media Contact:
Claudio Faria
Chief Executive Officer
cfaria@ignitebiomedical.com
SOURCE: Ignite BioMedical
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