According to the World Health Organization, cancer, one of life’s most dangerous diseases, will affect more than 35 million people in 2050 – 77% higher than the estimated 20,000,000 cases in 2022. The number of cancer survivors worldwide reached 53.5 millions, and the recurrence rates of the disease vary between 15% and 100% depending on the type and stage of cancer and the patient’s circumstances. Despite this, there are no effective diagnostics that can help curb recurrence.
Enter OneCell Diagnostics – a precision oncology startup based on genomics that aims to limit cancer recurrences through its proprietary cell biopsies.
This startup, which has treated nearly 10,000 patients in India, is now looking to replicate their early success in India here in the U.S. They have developed a blood-based biopsies that detects cancer recurrence by circulating tumor cells. This is different from the commonly used cancer detection methods such as PET scans and CT scans. It also differs from tissue-based diagnosis.
OneCell secured an IP for capturing and isolating the circulating tumor cells from a 10-ml blood sample. A phlebotomist collects blood from the patient at home in two tubes. One tube is for detecting the circulating tumor DNA and the other for detecting the circulating tumour cells. These tubes are then sent to a nearby OnCell lab, where the blood sample goes through an analysis using a combination of scientific methods and AI to predict recurrence, which it calls True-Single-Cell-Multi-omics. The startup combines circulating tumor cell RNA with cell surface protein and RNA testing.
The startup’s circulating tumor cell DNA is combined with its RNA and cell surface protein testing to provide a better diagnosis. This provides at least 100-times more information than current liquid biopsy tests, which are based primarily on ctDNA and cell-free dna, according to co-founder and CEO Mohan Uttarwar.
In addition, the startup has developed an app called iCare that works as a precision-oncology console for oncologists to interpret test reports with AI and machine learning. “It is the innovation at intersection of very deep sciences, cell science, data science and that’s a perfect storm,” Uttarwar said to TechCrunch.
Oncologists are well-trained medically, but not in precision oncology. OneCell’s iCare is a helpful tool. “Our goal is for every oncologist to adapt precision oncology in every hospital around the globe,” he said.
OneCell developed a proprietary glass beads that use antibodies and have an affinity towards cancer cells. This helps filter out circulating tumor cells in the blood sample of a patient.
This startup offers its biopsy testing to pan-cancer analyses for all solid tumors including breast, lung and colon cancers. Due to regulatory restrictions, the startup avoids first-time patients with cancer.
Companies that fall under this category are required to obtain premarket approvals. India does not have such restrictions. OneCell chose to focus on the recurrence patients market because it aims to launch its product in the U.S.
“Science, technology and their application are powerful and effective. However, the business side has decided to not enter this high-risk field,” Uttarwar said. The startup’s competitors include Guardant Health, Natera, and various Indian diagnostic companies. Uttarwar told TechCrunch that the startup’s precision in diagnosis, as well as its affordability (which is one-fifth of the price charged by the competition), makes it stand out.
OneCell, founded in 2021, operates under the B2B2C business model, offering its biopsies to patients via oncologists and Indian hospitals. It has a laboratory in Pune and an office in Mumbai, a western city in India. It employs 120 people. It has 24 employees in America, including those at its R&D facility located in Silicon Valley.
After serving India for over 2.5 years by working with biotech companies and biopharmaceutical companies, the startup plans to launch its business in America. It has developed a test called OncoIndx Ikon for detecting and analyzing CTCs. This will be available through its local biomarker partner in the U.S.
OneCell’s early launch in India – one of the most cancer-affected nations – has allowed it to gather enough data for its analytics and AI system, and attract some of India’s top hospitals, including state-run institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences and private hospitals Apollo Fortis and Tata Memorial Hospital. Harvard Medical School and Stanford University are among its strategic academic partners.
OneCell raised $16 million from Celesta Capital in a Series A round that was oversubscribed. Tenacity Ventures was also a participant in the round, as were Cedars-Sinai and Eragon. It has also added Nobel laureate James Rothman as a member of the board.
According to Uttarwar, the new capital will help OneCell expand its business into India and the U.S.
In the near future, the startup plans to reach 1,000 oncologists as well as a million cancer patients.