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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MINAPATH (MINAPATH: A novel and unique method to diagnose and prevent diseases that are caused by exposure and accumulation of inorganic mineral dusts.)

Teaser

Summary

There are more than 300 different conditions included in the total number of Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs). Among them, 65% are considered as idiopathic and are frequently associated with an exposure to inorganic pollutants and dust.
Patients usually present progressive breathlessness, lung crackles, a diffusely abnormal chest radiograph. The common and non-specific nature of the symptoms makes the differential diagnosis challenging and deals to large waiting times. As a consequence patients face the progression of a disease without an effective treatment that in most of the cases is limited to palliative care and lung transplant. The median survival is estimated between 3 and 5 years for several of these conditions and the course of the disease is characterized by various acute events. As a consequence, given the difficulty to confirm the diagnosis and the multiple related comorbidities and complications, the management of ILDs is resource-intensive and incur in a high cost for the health system.
In this scenario, the development of a test for an accurate diagnosis is necessary. At Minapath we aim to combine our experience in pulmonary diseases and mineralogical analysis in human tissues to develop a fast and cost-effective diagnosis method.

Work performed

Thanks to this project we have evaluated the clinical studies and commercial activities we need to perform to put our diagnosis test in the market and come with a realistic plan.
The pilot studies carried out so far at Minapath demonstrates the potential of our test. Through this project, we have designed the clinical trial we need to conduct to show our results at a larger scale and have got the interest of hospitals outside and inside Europe to participate in it. This network will help us to distribute our test.
The description of the clinical trial has also allowed us to identify all the services that we need to outsource, and the equipment that we have to buy.
Our aim is to commercialize our diagnosis test after Ph2 project in Europe. To ensure that we will be able to do it we have studied the diagnosis market within this region and got informed of the European laws we will need to comply.
Now we have an estimation of the investment needed and have a plan increase the capital of the company through capital share and funds of our company activities.
We feel confident with our plan to succeed with this business idea and have concluded that our test has the potential to be developed with the contribution of an additional funding.

Final results

The lack of an accurate diagnosis method suppose a high burden to the health system and means the absence of an effective treatment for patients.
The complexity of reaching a confirmed diagnosis and the need for managing complications and concomitant comorbidities makes managing patients with ILD cost intensive and resource intensive. Only the annual healthcare expenses per patient with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), one of the most common ILDs, can reach â‚¬163.793. The lifetime healthcare for those with Connective Tissue Diseases is estimated in â‚¬190.702. This means significantly increased healthcare usage compared with demographically matched controls.
Patients with ILDs needs multiple visits to the hospital a lengthy diagnosis and to be exposed to ineffective or even harmful therapies. An accurate diagnostic test is especially relevant for those for whom exogenous agents are the cause of ILD since immediate removal of the exposure can be sufficient to bring about disease regression.
Our company aim to develop a method, for which there is no competition in the market, to determine the etiology of ILDs. It will mean for the health system a reduction of the economic burden and for patients a method to treat their diseases in an effective way, stopping its progression or even reversing them.