CerFlux, a local startup focused on cancer, has been selected for the I-Corps Accelerator to fast track the commercialization of the company’s oncology test also known as the Personalized Oncology Efficacy Test (POET).
The company has also received a $50,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health.
“Participating in the I-Corps at NIH National Program both recognizes and validates the tremendous work that CerFlux is doing and the potential for this startup to scale and grow. The companies that participate in I-Corps at NIH are well positioned to receive NIH follow-on funding, including $1 million-plus for full R&D,” said Molly Wasko, NIH national instructor and UAB Collat School of Business associate dean for research “As part of I-Corps, CerFlux will map a commercialization pathway that accelerates the translation of their research into real-world impact on the quality of life of cancer patients, and help eradicate cancer as a deadly disease and turn it into a manageable one.”
The accelerator and associated grant will aim to build momentum for the continuing commercial-academic collaboration between CerFlux and the James Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Ohio State University.
“A remarkable feature of our patented technology is that it can be applied across the cancer care continuum: POET to better match treatments to tumors and PEER (Preclinical Estimate Efficacy Report) to predict clinical success of new therapies still under development at pharmaceutical companies,” said CerFlux CEO Karim Budhwani. “Our goal with I-Corps is to refine product-market fit and establish a robust go-to-market roadmap and timeline for transforming cancer treatment and discovery.”
According to CerFlux, less than 3% of funded research makes the leap from new knowledge to innovation. Without personalized predictive tools like POET, treatment is based on generalized parameters such as age and disease stage, among other factors. often leading to a mismatch between treatments and tumors. Consequently, about 75% of patients have to endure first-line chemotherapy that turns out to be ineffective because the treatment regimen didn’t match the patients tumor – resulting in lost time and a substantial physical, emotional and financial burden.
CerFlux POET addresses a need for accessible and affordable predictive technologies that can identify optimal therapy regimens and strategically eliminate ineffective options.
Acceptance into the accelerator is the latest in a string of developments for CerFlux, which includes receiving $1 million in seed capital in January and several grants in 2020, including one from the BCRFA.
