Renalytix (NASDAQ: RNLX) (LSE: RENX) is the global founder and leader in the new field of bioprognosis™ for kidney health. Renalytix grew out of the research by Mt. Sinai Hospital nephrologist Dr. Barbara Murphy, who was passionate about the genetics and genomics of kidney disease. While in medical school, she was inspired by a young dialysis patient. Later, as a researcher, she and her team identified a set of genes that predicted which patients were at risk for kidney disease. Renalytix uses an AI-enabled algorithm to analyze three biomarker values from a patient blood sample and selected health record features to determine a patient’s risk for rapid decline in kidney function.
The company’s lead product, KidneyIntelX, has been granted Breakthrough Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is designed to help make significant improvements in kidney disease prognosis and treatment to slow or halt progression early and help patients avoid end stage kidney disease, dialysis or transplant. Future products are being developed to measure changes in kidney health over time, identify the most effective therapy for a specific patient, and monitor their response to therapy. Through collaborations the company can also partner with pharmaceutical companies for patient stratification for drug clinical trials and drug target discovery.
“A dozen years ago I worked on a startup in St. Pete, and we couldn’t get leadership to come here. Today, St. Pete and the Tampa Bay region are extremely attractive. People get excited about relocating here.”
Tom notes the company chose St. Pete because of its options for facilities, access to commercial and clinical leadership in Florida, qualified personnel, and recruiting options, saying, “Finding a place that can help accommodate the explosive growth we’ve had was paramount, and we need access to and the ability to attract talent to continue that growth.” He adds, “A dozen years ago I worked on a startup in St. Pete, and we couldn’t get leadership to come here. Today, St. Pete and the Tampa Bay region are extremely attractive. People get excited about relocating here.”
Renalytix joins a growing cohort of emerging and established life sciences companies, research institutions, and medical centers in Pinellas County. Nearly half of all life sciences companies in the Tampa Bay region are located in Pinellas County.
Renalytix has three employees in St. Petersburg today, expects six by the end of the year, and growing to 20 in 2024, once they have a permanent facility. They are currently located in temporary space on Pasadena Avenue South. Learn more at www.renalytix.com.
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