Apr 17, 2023

News provided by Share this article Share this article Proven life-sciences executive to lead groundbreaking precision medicine biotechnology company's work on Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA) SALT LAKE CITY, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MARAbio Systems (MARAbio), a precision medicine biotechnology company, has appointed Dr. Michael Paul to serve as the company's CEO. Dr. Paul has more than 25 years of life-sciences industry experience, including leading a number of organizations from formation to strategic exit. MARAbio's technology enables the earliest detection for risk of developing a specific subtype of autism through a simple blood test in the mother, either prior to pregnancy or after the child is born. Dr. Paul succeeds Dr. James Woody, who will continue to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. The company has exclusive rights to key discoveries made by Founder Dr. Judy Van de Water at the UC Davis MIND Institute that forms the biological basis of Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA). MARA is an immune system-mediated subtype of autism that is currently estimated to represent approximately 20% of overall autism cases. "MARAbio's vision is a world in which the most severe effects of autism are treatable, and our entire team is energized to have Michael lead us forward," said Dr. Van de Water. "Our mission is to detect the MARA subtype that has been shown to be associated with more severe forms of autism and in some instances ensure that MARA does not occur, and Michael's appointment as CEO is a critical inflection point for us," added Dr. Van de Water. Knowing if a child has the MARA subtype of autism may help behavioral therapists tailor their intervention approaches for better outcomes. Additional indications are in development, including pre-pregnancy testing (which is particularly useful for women who are at high risk for having an autistic child), and potential therapeutics to reduce the likelihood of a child having MARA. MARAbio does not offer the test during pregnancy. "I am honored to lead this pioneering biotechnology company forward, and excited to continue working closely with Dr. Van de Water and Dr. Woody," said Dr. Paul. MARAbio's ultimate aim is to develop interventions so that families and their physicians have options to detect and limit the incidence of this subtype of autism. Combined with the potential therapeutic approaches that could block the MARA autoantibodies and prevent this subtype of autism, MARAbio is the only company applying the promise of precision medicine to autism. Dr. Van de Water's discoveries provide MARAbio with 3-fold competitive differentiation      1. Autism risk assessment test in the mother: 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. 2. Proprietary therapeutic antibody interventions: targeted against the MARA-specific autoantibodies to prevent the MARA subtype of autism. 3. Companion diagnostic test: Professional biography of Dr. Michael Paul Dr. Paul is Chief Executive Officer for MARAbio. Prior to joining MARAbio, Dr. Paul co-founded Lineagen, Inc., and served as its President, CEO, and Director from its 2006 inception to its strategic acquisition in 2020. At Lineagen, Dr. Paul built a team of over 125 employees focused on providing clinical testing services for individuals with autism and other disorders of childhood development and clinical counseling for their families. Dr. Paul is recognized as one of Utah's leading venture entrepreneurs, having been appointed to the Steering Committee for the Utah Technology Industry Commission by former Governor Michael O. Leavitt, serving as Vice Chairman for the Utah Technology Council, and as a finalist for E&Y's 2018 "Entrepreneur of the Year" in Healthcare award. In addition, MountainWest Capital Network named Lineagen as a "Utah 100 Winners" for being one of the state's fastest growing companies. Prior to founding Lineagen, Dr. Paul was Vice President of Business Development for Huntsman Biotechnology Corporate, and Director of Strategic Development at NPS Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Paul has also worked at the University of Utah Technology Transfer Office, where he marketed university inventions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He is a licensed patent agent of the United States Patent & Trademark Office. He earned his B.A. from Colby College and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Utah. About MARAbio MARAbio systems, Inc. is a precision medicine biotechnology company that has developed a blood test in women to identify the presence of a distinct cluster of antibodies that lead to Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA). This enables the earliest available risk assessment for the development of autism in a child, even before clinical symptoms exist. The company's mission is to detect, and ultimately ensure from occurring the MARA subtype that has been shown to be associated with more severe forms of autism. For more information, please visit www.marabio.com SOURCE MARAbio