20/20 GeneSystems

Many healthcare professionals speak of a holy grail: A simple blood test that can detect cancer at its earliest stage — when it’s easiest to treat and possibly even cure.

The desire for such a test is understandable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.

That’s why enthusiasm for Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) screenings has exploded. And it’s why a medical-technology startup called 20/20 GeneSystems is so focused on early detection.

Leveraging its patented technology around machine learning, big data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), this startup has created a powerful blood test — one that can detect the presence of more than a dozen different cancers.

This test, known as OneTest, works with a small amount of blood, which is sent to the company’s certified laboratory. From there, the sample is run using FDA-approved automated analyzers from companies like Roche and Abbott Diagnostics, the same robotic instruments used in major hospital systems.

Within about three days, 20/20 issues a comprehensive lab report that includes various biomarker values. These values are then plugged into a proprietary machine-learning algorithm which helps determine a OneTest risk score. Once the blood is tested and risk scores are generated, a detailed report is created, enabling the discovery and monitoring of potentially cancerous cells.

The timing of 20/20’s emergence is notable. In 2023, a bi-partisan bill was introduced in Congress that would expedite Medicare reimbursement for MCEDs. Passage of this bill remains a top priority for the American Cancer Society, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is investing more than $100 million to support multi-year clinical trials of MCEDs.

20/20’s OneTest isn’t anything radically new. It’s merely an improvement over existing options. Competing MCEDs require a large quantity of blood drawn, are less sensitive to detecting early-stage cancers, and can cost more than $1,000 per test. 20/20’s OneTest, in contrast, costs less than $300.

Notably, between 2020 and 2022, 20/20 shifted its focus temporarily to COVID-19 testing. During this stretch, the company brought in more than twenty-four million dollars in revenue. In 2022, 20/20 shifted its focus back to its OneTest product, and experienced 200% revenue growth between 2022 and 2023.

Importantly, revenue continues to rise while customer-acquisition costs (CAC) continue to fall. This is a sign of a healthy, growing business.

This year, 20/20 expects to record a significant jump in sales, along with a research agreement with one of the world’s largest cancer centers. It also expects to be the first and only provider of a multi-cancer test at retail pharmacies. A new longevity test is also planned for the second half of this year that will incorporate various biomarkers along with dietary and lifestyle recommendations.

Team Background

Jonathan Cohen - Chief Executive Officer

Jonathan has an extensive background in biotech, and is the co-inventor of 20/20’s patent-pending AI approach to improving tumor biomarker accuracy.

He’s led the company through all areas of its development, having secured approximately six million dollars in grant funding and led the launch of its landmark product.

He’s also been the face of the organization in strategic discussions, including its partnerships with Ping An Ventures and Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Office of Science and Technology.

Jonathan is a leader in the biotech industry. For example, he’s helped get important legislation passed, such as the Maryland Biotechnology Investment Tax Credit, which promotes industry innovation through tax relief.

He also founded the Small Biotechnology Business Coalition, a national advocacy organization that promotes programs and policies that help small bio- and health-tech firms in their missions to make diagnostic tests more widely available.

With a background as a biotech patent and licensing attorney, Jonathan has helped secure the necessary patents to protect 20/20’s work.

He has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and a Law degree from the American University.

Jiming Zhou - Chief Operations Officer

Jiming has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

After graduating from Sichuan University in China with a degree in Biology, he moved to the U.S. He conducted research at the University of Iowa, focusing on lung cancer and other disorders.

He then joined Avanir Pharmaceuticals, and shortly thereafter, became Director of Molecular Diagnostics at the Clinical Reference Laboratory, one of the largest privately-held clinical testing labs in the U.S. After that, he was Managing Director of The Genetics and IVF Institute, a Virginiabased fertility clinic.

More recently, Jiming was a partner with Fairfax Healthcare Management, and President of Firefox Pharmaceuticals.

He’s published more than thirty peer-reviewed manuscripts and been granted several patents.

Michael Lebowitz - Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Lebowitz has more than eighteen years of experience in biomedical research, having previously served as Vice President of Research at Ariadne Diagnostics, LLC.

He’s been directly involved in the commercial launch of six cancer diagnostic tests and the research leading up to a pharmaceutical Investigational New Drug (IND) approval.

Dr. Lebowitz holds a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology. While there, he subsequently completed a threeyear fellowship in immunology in the Department of Pathology, Division of Immunopathology. He remains associated with JHU as an adjunct Lecturer in the Advanced Academic Program in Biotechnology within the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Co-Investors