Polaris Genomics Receives $100K and Will Continue Research on their PTSD Genomic Test
Polaris Genomics, a biotech startup, has announced their research will continue thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnership Program (MIPS). This grant matches a first grant awarded by MIPS back in the fall of 2020.
The first grant allowed Polaris to begin partnering with researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore, and with this second grant in place, that research can proceed.
The company brought the first and only PTSD genomic test to the industry, calling it PTS-ID. This genomic blood test is thought to identify persons with PTSD, measure the disease severity, and detect treatment response. The research will continue to evaluate PTS-ID’s efficacy and performance.
Early research had been conducted with a test pool comprising mostly white males. Their tests were then expanded, creating a small cohort of 69 African American men and women, allowing the researchers to observe how their biomarkers performed in a wider population. With a growing statistical significance in the data, the company intends to initiate Phase Two.
“Phase two will allow us to validate these findings with a larger group and to test the biomarkers’ ability to detect changes with treatment,” said Dr. Daniel J Roche, PhD, Assistant Professor Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.
The second grant is crucial to the mission of better serving veterans, first responders, frontline workers, and trauma-impacted communities alike. Based on the genomic insights and research outcomes, Polaris is moving rapidly towards product commercialization.
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