Axial Biotech

About Axial Biotech

Axial Biotech, Inc. was a privately held molecular diagnostics company established in 2002, with its headquarters and laboratory located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company was founded by a team that included internationally recognized spine surgeons and geneticists, specifically John M. Climaco, W. Kenneth Ward, John T. Braun, and James W. Ogilvie. John M. Climaco, an attorney with a background in securities law, transitioned to the biotech sector to lead the company as President and CEO. Dr. W. Kenneth Ward, a specialist in medical genetics and biosensors with experience in founding multiple biotech ventures, served as the Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer.

The firm's strategic focus was on the development and commercialization of DNA-based diagnostics and motion-preserving technologies for common spinal disorders. Its primary market consisted of orthopedic and spine specialists treating patients with spinal deformities. The company operated on a business model centered on genetic research to create prognostic tests, which would then be commercialized and sold to clinicians. This was supported by venture capital funding, including a Series A round of $4.1 million in 2005 and a $6 million tranche of a Series B financing in 2008, with investors like Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, vSpring Capital, and Medtronic Sofamor Danek.

Axial Biotech's flagship product was the ScoliScore™ AIS Prognostic Test, launched commercially in 2009. This saliva-based test was designed for pediatric patients, specifically Caucasian individuals aged 9 to 13, diagnosed with mild Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). By analyzing 53 specific genetic markers, the test calculated a risk score to predict the likelihood of spinal curve progression. The primary benefit was to provide physicians and families with a tool to determine, with a high degree of accuracy, which patients were at low risk for their curve worsening to a severe degree requiring surgery. This knowledge aimed to reduce patient anxiety and minimize the need for frequent X-ray monitoring and unnecessary bracing for low-risk individuals. However, the test's applicability was limited, and its predictive capabilities were later questioned. In September 2012, the global rights to the ScoliScore test, including its technology and intellectual property, were acquired by Transgenomic for $4.4 million in cash. Following this transaction, Axial Biotech ceased operations and is now considered defunct.