Molecular recognition is fundamental to effective disease detection and treatment. Graduate students Scott Ferguson, Qiang (Jackson) Gong, and Jinpeng (JP) Wang from UC Santa Barbara were interested in finding a way to detect and manipulate biomolecules underlying ailments such as cancer or heart disease, as early and as effectively as possible. They formed a business plan for Aptitude Medical Systems and entered UCSB’s New Venture Competition where they were awarded best business plan and most fundable venture. In 2011, Aptitude Medical Systems became a reality and opened their doors as a biotech start up. Aptitude aims to improve on antibody technology through their own synthetic version of molecules that can detect or treat diseases in ways not possible with previous antibody technologies.
Aptitude Medical Systems vision is to revolutionize molecular recognition. They are unlocking new and advantageous uses of aptamers, enabling the interaction with key molecules in ways that have been previously out of reach. Their next-generation aptamers have an expanded target range, rapid development and production time, multi-specificity, and unprecedented performance, stability and application capabilities. These advances in their technology can ultimately enable early detection of proteins for cancer, auto immune, heart disease, and personalized drug response and enable novel longer-lasting and more efficacious treatments for debilitating diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Their technology has been recognized in over 20 journal publications, and their commercial impact has been demonstrated by their repeated success in major industry partnerships.
Aptitude received a $223,839 grant in 2014 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The purpose of the grant was to aid in research to develop a device for diabetes patients that would more accurately control glucose levels. That same year, Aptitude was awarded four Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants bringing in over two million dollars. Aptitude has also been the recipient of a $1.7 million Fast Track SBIR grant from the National Institute of Health’s Small Business Innovation Research Grants and has obtained a number of discovery and development partnerships from multiple diagnostics and pharmaceutical companies. Their headquarters is located in Santa Barbara, California, and they are accompanied by a group of advisors who have backgrounds in clinical development and aptamer R&D. In addition to developing their own internal product pipeline, Aptitude is currently partnering with companies in the life science, diagnostics, and therapeutics fields to create breakthrough products.
Follow Aptitude Medical Systems’ Story at http://www.aptitudemedical.com