GlyCardial Diagnostics

GlyCardial Diagnostics, established in 2017, is a clinical-stage spin-off from the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICCC) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The company was founded by a team of scientists—Dr. Lina Badimon (CSO), Dr. Judit Cubedo (CEO), Dr. Teresa Padró, and Dr. Gemma Vilahur—following more than a decade of research into cardiovascular disease. The foundation of the company was a direct result of their research, which identified a novel biomarker for the early detection of myocardial ischemia, an effort that earned Dr. Cubedo recognition in the MIT Technology Review awards for innovators under 35 in 2014.

The company is focused on tackling a critical gap in cardiac care: the early diagnosis of myocardial ischemia before irreversible heart muscle damage occurs. GlyCardial's core technology is a first-in-class in vitro diagnostic test, branded as iSCOR, which measures the blood levels of a specific glycoprotein, Apo J-Glyc. Research conducted by the founding team revealed that levels of this biomarker decrease during the early stages of a cardiac ischemic event. This is a departure from many existing cardiac tests that measure markers of necrosis, or cell death, which is damage that has already occurred. The iSCOR test is designed to provide clinicians with a tool for earlier intervention, potentially improving patient outcomes and preventing the progression to heart failure.

GlyCardial Diagnostics operates within the global in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market, targeting hospital emergency departments and cardiology units as its primary clients. The business model is centered on the development and clinical validation of the ApoJ-Glyc biomarker, with the ultimate goal of sublicensing the technology to a major diagnostics company for worldwide commercialization and integration into existing hospital laboratory platforms. To advance its technology, the company has secured approximately $2.8 million in funding through a series of grants and financing rounds, with notable investors including Caixa Capital Risc, HealthEquity, and the European Union's EIC Fund. A significant milestone was achieved in February 2021 with the launch of the EDICA trial, a multicenter international clinical study to validate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of the iSCOR test.

Keywords: myocardial ischemia diagnosis, cardiac biomarker, Apo J-Glyc, in vitro diagnostics, IVD, heart attack early detection, cardiovascular diagnostics, chest pain triage, ischemia test, acute coronary syndrome, clinical trial, medical diagnostics, biotechnology, Lina Badimon, Judit Cubedo, iSCOR test, cardiac risk stratification, prognostic biomarker, diagnostic immunoassay, cardiovascular disease