Overview
Company overview
MARAbio Systems, Inc. (MARAbio) is a precision immunology company that has exclusive rights to key discoveries made by Dr. Judy Van de Water at UC Davis / MIND Institute that form the biological basis of Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA).
As detailed in numerous peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, MARA is an immune system-mediated subtype of autism that is currently estimated to represent approximately 20% of autism diagnoses.
Our mission is to detect and mitigate Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA), a subtype that has been shown to be associated with more severe or profound forms of autism.
MARAbio is working with care providers to enable early interventions, tailor approaches and specific strategies for better outcomes. We firmly believe early detection coupled with targeted intervention and development of specialized therapeutics will improve the lives of individuals with MARA and their families, while also reducing the burden of care.
Our precision technology uses a blood test in women either prior to pregnancy or as early as birth to identify the presence of a distinct cluster of antibodies that lead to the MARA subtype of autism.
This technology provides MARAbio with a unique threefold differentiation:
MARA test for biological mothers:
of an autistic child and who is contemplating a subsequent pregnancy, and/or
of a child who is at a high likelihood of an autism diagnosis (pre-symptomatic), thereby enabling interventions such as earlier intensive behavioral therapy.
of a child who fails to meet developmental milestones
Companion diagnostic test:
for the supplemental indication of FDA-approved therapeutic interventions, including anti-FcRn blocking antibodies.
Proprietary therapeutic antibody interventions:
targeted against the MARA-specific autoantibodies to mitigate the effects of MARA.
Ultimately, knowing if a child has the MARA subtype of autism may help behavioral therapists tailor their intervention approaches for better outcomes. Additional indications include pre-pregnancy testing, which is particularly useful for women that are at high likelihood of having an autistic child, and potential therapeutics to reduce the likelihood of a child having MARA.
Please note: The test is not intended or validated for use during pregnancy until treatment is available.
The MARAbio test can accelerate the diagnosis of autism and initiation of therapy for children whose mothers test positive. Early behavioral intervention therapy is widely recognized to have a positive impact on quality of life for individuals with autism.
Knowing helps therapists and interventionists tailor their care and approach to serving those with MARA and their families to improve outcomes.
