Tech company Metabolon wins NIH award to develop PCOS test

The US tech company Metabolon has won a National Institute of Health (NIH) award to develop a test to improve polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis accuracy.

PCOS is the most common cause of infertility worldwide, affecting an estimated 8-13 per cent of women of childbearing age. Currently, up to 70 per cent of affected women remain undiagnosed.

Through this NIH grant, Metabolon aims to identify metabolite biomarkers of PCOS that will allow for better classification of patients by disease subtypes so that treatment can be better targeted.

Current diagnoses typically require pelvic exams and blood tests to obtain a hormone profile, glucose tolerance and lipid measurements.

Metabolon’s platform claims to reveal deep phenotypic insight into these areas from the global metabolic profiling of a single sample to define PCOS subtypes with enhanced granularity.

“Today, PCOS is diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria, which were developed decades ago based on expert opinion rather than on objective criteria. This diagnostic algorithm likely misclassifies or outright misses a lot of cases,” said Adam Kennedy, associate director of research and development at Metabolon.

“Metabolon’s work in this area will potentially bring PCOS diagnostic guidelines into the 21st century using highly advanced, cutting-edge metabolomics science.”

The project will be conducted over the next 12 months. Findings will be shared in publications and presented at key conferences to advance knowledge and contribute to the broader discourse within the field.

Kennedy said: “This forward-looking strategy aligns with Metabolon’s goal to push the boundaries of innovation and make meaningful contributions in the field of metabolomics for the benefit of PCOS patients worldwide.

“Follow-up initiatives are planned to build on the success of the grant work, as well as preparation for additional grant applications.”