Ascendant Dx

Ascendant Dx, founded in 2010 and formerly known as Ascendant Diagnostics, operated as a biotechnology firm focused on creating diagnostic technologies for diseases affecting women and children. The company was headquartered at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park in Fayetteville. In April 2019, Ascendant Dx was acquired by Namida Lab, a company that has continued and expanded upon the original mission. Namida Lab, deriving its name from the Japanese word for tears, was established in 2019 by Omid Moghadam, a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in health and technology ventures. The core of the company's work originated from research by Dr. Suzanne Klimberg, a breast surgical oncologist who identified protein pattern differences in the tears of breast cancer patients, and was further developed by Dr. Anna Daily.

The company operates in the life sciences and oncology markets, concentrating on the development and commercialization of non-invasive, proteomics-based diagnostic tests. Its business model centers on creating lab-developed tests (LDTs) that can be sold directly to consumers and through business-to-business channels, including large employers and healthcare groups. The primary product is Auria, an at-home biological breast health screening test that analyzes proteins in tears to detect abnormalities. This serves as a tool to help women, particularly those with dense breast tissue for whom mammography can be less effective, make more informed decisions about when to seek a screening mammogram. Revenue is generated from the sale of the Auria test kits, which are available online through the company's website and major retailers like Amazon and Walmart.com.

Ascendant Dx's flagship product under development was MelodyDx, a test designed to detect early-stage breast cancer by analyzing the protein profile in a patient's tears. After the acquisition, Namida Lab launched this technology commercially as Auria in September 2022. The Auria kit provides a non-invasive method for sample collection using a filter strip placed on the lower eyelid. This sample is then sent to Namida Lab's CLIA-certified, high-complexity laboratory, where the proteins are analyzed using an ELISA-based assay to generate a score indicating a low or high probability of abnormalities. While not a definitive diagnostic tool, the test provides supplementary information to facilitate discussions between patients and their healthcare providers. The company holds multiple patents for its methods of detecting cancer via tear analysis. Facing challenging venture capital markets, Namida Lab has recently restructured to focus on increasing sales of Auria, pausing development on other potential cancer screening products.

Keywords: cancer screening, tear diagnostics, proteomics, breast cancer detection, non-invasive diagnostics, lab-developed test, Auria, MelodyDx, Omid Moghadam, Anna Daily, Suzanne Klimberg, CLIA certified lab, liquid biopsy, biomarker discovery, at-home health test, oncology diagnostics, women's health, early cancer detection, dense breast tissue, proteomic tear testing