RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Picture knowing exactly which drug works best for you and which is best to avoid. This is precisely the promise of Brazilian startup Proprium through its genetic test. The company has developed a system that can measure how each metabolism reacts to several substances. By doing so, the prescription of medication by doctors can become much more accurate and individualized for each patient.
The company was created by Fernando Gabas, former director of Reebok Fitness, and Fabricio Pamplona, neuroscientist and doctor in psychopharmacology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
They met each other through a past Pamplona research study investigating safe ways for cannabinoid use. “I developed a genetic test to identify which patients are at risk of developing anxiety and other behavioral disorders when using CBD and THC,” says the scientist.
Gabas, who was following the preventive health market after a relative fell ill, was fascinated with the work conducted by the pharmacologist and they soon began to develop a business project together. Their goal was to use genetics to perfect medical care and help people live healthier lives.
The company is now entering the market in 2020 with a global operation supported by offices in Brazil, Portugal and the United States. In the first stage of the business, in which the partners invested 200,000 Euros, the startup provides genetic tests for people who want to know how their body reacts to some 100 drugs commonly used in medicine.
The patients buy the product on the company’s website, receive the kit at home and collect their own saliva. After this, the startup team collects the material and sends it to a laboratory in Europe. Within approximately 15 days, the complete result of the test is sent to the client. Prices currently range from R$1,600 to R$2,600.
The second phase of the business, which should go operational still in 2020, involves nutrition and physical fitness. Based on the clients’ genetic predispositions, Proprium plans to sell supplements that help clients prevent new diseases. The plan is to set up an individualized treatment and send it to each client in daily dose packets.
From 2021, the company’s plan is to incorporate its solutions with other technologies on the market, such as Apple Watch, for instance. This way, patients would have their whole medical history on a platform and would still be able to have real-time doctor contact. The partners are also investing in the development of artificial intelligence that can help doctors interpret test results and make more effective prescriptions.
For this year, Proprium’s goal is to sell approximately 5,000 tests in Brazil. Regarding doctors, at least 2,000 professionals are expected to have contact with the startup platform, consulting results or interacting with patients.