If valuation is any measure of a sector’s promise, artificial intelligence-aided genomics has straddled a Space-X booster rocket and is headed towards the stratosphere. But what are the goals of these technologies, how do they differ, and what are their advantages over traditional methods of scientific discovery for medicine? What actual value do they provide?
GATC Health is a rising star in this sector, and in a very short time has managed to productize its technology for consumer markets while expediting drug discovery and development for pharma partners. The company focuses on Predictive Multiomics™, which studies the various biomes, or biological components (genome, proteome, transcriptome, etc.) to predictively model what may happen when a disease or treatment is given to a virtual, digital human. The company’s Multiomics Advanced Technology™ (MAT) analyzes billions of biological data points, including whole genome/exome data and multiple omics, to make accurate predictions about disease states and individual responses to diseases and treatments.
While most companies in this space utilize mathematical, algorithm-based models to investigate human biology, GATC’s MAT thinks like human biology, mimicking the interdependence of biological systems that delivers faster, more accurate answers. According to GATC’s chief science officer, Ian Jenkins, “We have a non-obvious way of approaching a disease, seeing it with less bias. GATC’s platform has the ability to think in a biological context, allowing us to address discovery in a unique, non-linear manner. This leads to earlier, faster and more accurate detection, providing more treatment and intervention options.”
GATC recently partnered with a biomarker discovery company to investigate the causes and possible treatments for stimulant addiction, cocaine in this case. What they found—in roughly three weeks—were three novel molecules that could form the basis for a new type of addiction treatment. In this case, the company estimates if reduced the drug discovery process by approximately 20 percent.
The project began with the partners identifing a probable group of targets and an equation representing a trigger point. With this information, GATC was able to track and address the underlying mechanistic actions of this particular type of addiction. Until now, most addiction treatments focused on eliminating cravings. Using this new approach, GATC was able to identify new molecules that created a shift in biotargets, actually remodeling the limbic system and erasing the damage of addiction. The company is currently patenting the new molecules and their intended uses.
While GATC continues its drug discovery, development, and repurposing work with various partners, it has also created a number of consumer-based platforms to address the most pressing health issues of our time. They answer questions like, “How do I optimize health with sleep, exercise and diet?” “How sick will I get from COVID-19, and will I have long-term effects?” “What treatments will work best for my depression?” “Will I develop Type 2 diabetes, and can I stop it?” “What are my risks of heart attack?”
These platforms consist of target-specific instances of its MAT platform and DNA and/or RNA collection kits for customers. They provide personalized guidance for individuals and their clinicians, illustrating how one’s exact genetic composition influences a number of important health concerns and threats. To date, GATC has launched the following platforms: Viral Immunity, Health & Wellness, Depression & Anxiety, and has recently announced its new Diabetes platform. In the coming months, it will add Cardiac Risk to its portfolio of consumer-facing products.
“Our consumer products are very easy to use and provide personalized medical insight and incredible value,” stated Jeff Moses, the company’s chief marketing officer. “We market these through licensing and distribution partners who sell our collection kits to their customers. These work just like the common heredity kits. You just swab your cheek and send in the vial. In a few weeks, we provide an extremely detailed report, based on the analysis of your whole genome or exome. This differentiates us from many competitors, who basically take a low-resolution look at a person’s DNA. They may look at hundreds of thousands or even millions of data points. We analyze the full genome or exome, from 3.2 billion to 6.4 billion data points of a person’s DNA, in the context of billions of “omics” data points. We believe our results have the highest accuracy and greatest specificity possible. In doing so, we are also creating an enormously unique and valuable catalog of genomic and biological data.”
We asked earlier about the goals of these technologies, how they differ and how they advance medicine. Ultimately, the goal is a true one-to-one relationship between diagnoses and treatment on an individual level, measuring an individual’s health risk and determining the exact intervention to stop a disease or treatment to cure it. This is the realization of personalized and precision medicines.
Compared to traditional platforms that utilize artificial intelligence to accelerate mathematical, algorithmic models, GATC’s Multiomics Advanced Technology is at the forefront of a new model, where data is given biological context and value. With this distinct advantage, GATC Health provides exponentially faster, earlier and more accurate results with far greater accuracy for disease detection, treatment and therapeutics development.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
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