Company: CardiaTec
Location: Cambridge
Founded: 2021
Founders: Raphael Peralta (CEO), Thelma Zablocki (COO), Dr. Namshik Han (CTO)
Written by: Lucy Ahern
Edited by: Natasha Barrow & Caroline Babisz
CardiaTec is at the forefront of drug development for cardiovascular diseases. Through sequencing and AI, they are generating the largest multiomics dataset surrounding human hearts to uncover novel therapeutics.
A CardiaTec scientist receives a call. One of their 65 hospitals from across the US and UK has a new heart available. This heart is shipped to the lab and is processed for multiomics data analysis: whole genome sequencing, transcriptomic, proteomic and epigenetic profiling. CardiaTec’s proprietary dataset is fed into a highly specialised techstack. Machine learning and network biology is used to identify drug targets with high clinical relevance to a range of cardiovascular diseases. Specialised drugs are then developed by chemists.
Despite being the leading global cause of death, cardiovascular diseases have been chronically underfunded. Between 2016 and 2021, 50% of research and development spending was focused on oncology. Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for over double the annual global deaths, yet only received only 3% of research and development spending.
Recently there has been a notable shift in the pharmaceutical industry’s approach to cardiovascular disease, with more activity now than it has seen over the last two decades. Companies like MyoKardia, The Medicines Company and Cardior have been acquired by major corporations, reflecting an increased appetite for solutions in the cardiovascular space. As well as pharmaceutical interest in the field, recent technology advancement and lack of viable drug targets put CardiaTec well placed for success in the current market.
Raphael Peralta (CEO) and Thelma Zablocki (COO) undertook the MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise where they met Dr. Namshik Han (CTO), head of Artificial Intelligence at the Milner Therapeutics Institute, in Cambridge. The trio founded CardiaTec, bringing on board experts from Han’s lab. The lab has a proven track record of developing innovative technology for target identification in the fields of cancer, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. This technology has now been adapted specifically for cardiovascular diseases. CardiaTec was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2021 and recently fundraised an incredible $6.5M seed round.
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