Pursuing a Passion

October 2011

The three young scientists that started DeNovo Sciences in March 2010 have a vision to affect positive change in human lives.  To achieve this change, they are developing an easy to use platform for cancer diagnosis that replaces painful and expensive biopsies.  President and co-founder, Priya Gogoi, convinced Chris Siemer, her lab colleague at their former workplace, Esperion Therapeutics, that this was the time in their lives when they could take the risk to follow their passion. Gogoi, who holds a masters of science in cell and molecular biology from Eastern Michigan University brought on a former Eastern classmate Saedeh Sepehri, to complete the team.

“Much of our first year was spent screening ideas for DeNovo Sciences’ direction and cancer research was always an integral part of our discussion,” says Siemer. “We had a keen interest in cell imaging technology and knew this could greatly benefit cancer research.”  For the next several months, the team carefully explored several ideas, put together a strong scientific advisory board, engaged academic collaborators and settled on a concept. DeNovo Sciences is now developing a microfluidic and imaging platform for early detection of metastatic cancer by isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood.  Primary tumors shed CTC cells into the blood stream and up until now, biopsy has been the diagnostic tool for detecting the spread of cancer.  “Our microfluidic chip, which is an advanced micro-scale filter, can separate these CTCs from blood for study and once captured can be examined by the imaging system,” explains Gogoi.  “The chip provides a flexible platform where multiple markers can be tested simultaneously.”  A working prototype has been developed and the DeNovo team has a goal of entering the market in three years and receiving FDA approval for clinical trials by 2015. “Our goal is that in five years, DeNovo Sciences will have clinical products in hospitals and cancer researchers will be using the DeNovo tools,” says Siemer.

DeNovo Sciences recently brought on its fourth employee, CEO Kalyan Handique, a seasoned life science entrepreneur who co-founded Handy Lab while earning a Ph.D. in microfluids at the University of Michigan.  Handique, who had recently guided his company through its successful acquisition by a leading global medical technology company, was seeking a new challenge.  While Handique has an impressive science background, he will be handling the business side of the growing company and helping to find investors.  “About 90% of cancer deaths are due to metastasis or dissemination of a primary tumor to multiple, distant sites in the body.  Medical imaging techniques often focus on the primary cancer source which doesn’t provide any information on the onset of metastasis,” relates Handique.  “DeNovo Sciences CTC platform for early detection of CTCs that have detached from the primary tumor into the blood stream can significantly reduce that high percentage.” 

DeNovo Sciences lab is located in the Michigan Life Sciences and Innovation Center in Plymouth and the team was urged early in its start-up phase to access the resources available to them through the Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC).  “Meeting SBTDC tech counselor, Sandra Cochrane, was a lucky break for us,” acknowledges Gogoi.  “Sandra and her organization were invaluable to us.  She helped us create the blueprint for DeNovo, assisted us in developing and refining our business model and was enormously helpful in connecting us to others.  From the first meeting, she showed great interest in our company.”  With Sandra’s aid, the company took first place in the New Business Ideas category of the 2011 Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business competition, winning a $5,000 cash prize.  With SBTDC help, DeNovo submitted a proposal for an SBIR grant through the National Cancer Institute, applied for participation in the annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition and polished its pitch to the angel investment community.  “This is a team that has come far in a year,” says Cochrane.  “They have a passion to make a positive impact, have grabbed an opportunity and run with it. I’m impressed with their progress.”  The team’s passion and dedication has clearly paid off.  In November, DeNovo Sciences scored the grand prize of $500,000 in the annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international business plan competition that aims to uncover the best and brightest new business concepts with potential to generate a positive impact on Michigan’s economy.  This is a company on the move.

Find out more information about our Technology Commercialization Team.