Israeli startup NeuroKaire launches world’s first blood test to personalize depression treatment
BrightKaire uses AI and stem-cell technology to match patients with effective medications, potentially ending years of trial-and-error prescribing.
A test developed in Israel could transform the way patients around the world manage major depressive disorder (MDD). NeuroKaire (formerly Genetika+), a biotech company, launched on Tuesday BrightKaire, a test based on a “brain in a dish” technology that helps clinicians choose the best antidepressant medication for patients with MDD.
This is the first clinical test of its kind worldwide. It has already received regulatory approval in the United States and is currently available to doctors and patients in both the U.S. and Israel. All tests, including those ordered from Israel, are conducted in the U.S. Patients can request the test through their psychiatrist or neurologist, or contact the company directly, which coordinates with partnering physicians.
Until now, doctors relied mainly on genetic testing, which examines a patient’s DNA profile to predict how their body metabolizes certain drugs, whether quickly or slowly, and the likelihood of side effects. While useful for determining dosage and tolerability, these tests did not answer the most critical question: Would the medication actually improve depression symptoms?
BrightKaire’s innovation lies in directly testing a patient’s brain cell response to different drugs, rather than relying on indirect predictions. This allows, for the first time, a truly functional and accurate personalization of drug treatment. The test could dramatically shorten the time required to find the right antidepressant, which today is often a trial-and-error process lasting up to two years, causing prolonged suffering and unnecessary side effects.
Founded in 2018 by Dr. Talia Cohen-Solal and Dr. Daphna Laifenfeld, NeuroKaire has raised about $25 million to date from venture capital funds including GreyBird Ventures, Meron Capital, Sapir Venture Partners and Jumpspeed Venture Partners. In 2022, the company also secured up to €17.5 million in grants through the European Union’s EIC Accelerator program.
Prof. Mark Weiser, Chairman, Division of Psychiatry, at Sheba Medical Center and an external advisor to NeuroKaire, said: “This is an incredible time to be in psychiatry. NeuroKaire’s unique use of stem cell technology, genetic insights, and artificial intelligence represents a dramatic advance in understanding depression biologically, enabling us to identify which medications may be most effective for each patient.”
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Dr. Justin Coffey, Chief Medical Advisor for NeuroKaire, said the test allows patients to find relief much faster. “Traditionally, identifying the right medication for patients with MDD can take up to 18 months because medications often require four to six weeks to work,” he explained. “From there you might spend another month or two tweaking the dosage. And then if it isn’t the right fit due to side effects, other drug interactions, or the patient’s lifestyle, you start the process all over again with a new drug; and that’s a long time to wait for someone who might be in a major depressive episode. By comparison, BrightKaire’s evidence-based test, based on each patient’s own brain cells, derived from their blood, can identify the right medication for individual patients in about eight weeks. This is a game changer for patients and psychiatrists.”
CEO and co-founder Dr. Talia Cohen-Solal concluded: “For far too long, those suffering from MDD have been put have been subject to trial-and-error prescribing. That’s hardly comforting to those in need of urgent help. BrightKaire isn’t just a step in the right direction towards personalized psychiatry, it’s a critical leap beyond the cookie-cutter approach to prescribing that currently defines much of psychiatric care.”
