20 Things You Didn’t Know About Adaptive Biotechnologies
Tremendous advances have recently been made in the field of biotechnology. This is a relatively new industry and several companies are working towards unlocking the secrets of the immune system of the body and finding correlations that will aid in the improvement of health and the prevention and cure for certain diseases. This is a broad and still wide-open field. Adaptive Biotechnologies is one such company that is at the forefront of the battle. They’re an important organization because of the potential for improving human existence on this planet, that exists within their research and development efforts. They’re also a company which is considered to be a hot commodity for investors. If you’re not yet familiar with the company, then here are 20 things you didn’t know about Adaptive Biotechnologies that you might find worth knowing.
1. They believe in the power of the human immune system
The one most important thing that there is to know about Adaptive Biotechnologies is that they are making the bet that the human immune system holds the key to unlocking both early detection and treatment of diseases. They’re using machine learning to attempt to reconstruct the genetic sequence of T-cell and B-cell receptors, which are key in the functioning of the adaptive immune system of the body. If they can complete the reconstruction of these receptors for therapeutic purposes, this is good news for early detection of disease and their treatment as well. It’s possible that diseases that once required extensive hospital stays for testing and treatment will be reduced to things that can be accomplished more easily and in a doctor’s office instead.
2. They’re working on a new immune system test
The new test that Adaptive is working on is hoped to become a part of everyone’s annual checkup and it’s referred to as an “immunoscreen.” What it will be is a screening of the body’s immune system that gives medical providers an overall picture of the health of the immune system for detection of diseases.
3. It’s closer than you think
Adaptive has come a long way in their research and development efforts in immune system functions. The immune system screenings that they’ve been working on are a lot closer than most people believe possible. It is estimated that within the next two years, the first immune system detection will be available to physicians throughout the globe. This is exciting news on the biomedical front.
4. Adaptive Biotechnologies is a market leader in the industry
We also learned that Adaptive is involved in a partnership with Genentech in drug development deals and with Microsoft for technical assistance on machine learning and computational statistics resources. The prospectus for Adaptive shows that out of the 30 billion immune receptors that are known to exist within their database of information on them, they own the data rights to over 20 billion of the receptors. This is great news for their research and development efforts. It gives them the edge on other companies in the marketplace and makes the value of the company of higher value.
5. Adaptive is mapping vital interactions
A part of the technical/computational work that Adaptive is doing with Microsoft resources is to create a map of the interactions that occur between the immune system and specific diseases. This is a major step in understanding the processes to develop a diagnostic product.
6. Adaptive Biotechnologies is Seattle-based
The Adaptive Biotechnologies company was founded by Chad and Harlan Robins, who are brothers. They have based the company out of Seattle, Washington. They have the goal to reach a more complete understanding of the adaptive immune system so they can translate this knowledge into new diagnostic and treatment products with greater speed and precision. The founders are projecting that the breakthroughs will result in growth and advancement that is unprecedented.
7. Adaptive has already begun producing cancer treatments
The deal that Adaptive recently struck with Genetech, which is a division of the Roche company, is geared towards partnering with cancer immunotherapy R&D with the T-cell receptor discovery and immune profiling platform that Adaptive has to offer. This makes identification of certain TCRs fast and effective for targeting proteins which are created by certain cancer mutations. This is potentially good news for the treatment of certain cancers through the use of the body’s immune system.
8. They’re developing a single blood test with multiple uses
Adaptive Biotechnologies began development for a single blood test that has the power to diagnose several different diseases in just one assay. This is being done through the use of artificial intelligence, supplied by Microsoft for immune system response mapping to foreign substances and toxins. Just a few of the diseases which can be identified with the test include ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, Lyme disease, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes.
9. Adaptive is making plans for a massive expansion
The current headquarters of Adaptive Biotechnologies is located at 1165 Eastlake Avenue East in Seattle, Wa. They recently signed a new lease that amounts to 100,000 square feet of space for their big expansion efforts. What this means is that they are tripling the size of their current operation, and the 12-year lease is located at 1551 Eastlake Avenue East, which is just down from the current location. They’re designing a new headquarters which will feature state of the art architecture and lab environments with a move-in date sometime in 2021.
10. Adaptive is mission-driven
Everyone at Adaptive Biotechnologies realizes the importance of the work that is accomplished there, and the company has created a culture that is driven towards reaching their goals of translating the very genetics of the adaptive immune system, then turning the data into clinical products that will enhance medicine as well as the quality of the lives of patients. The company fosters a sense of commitment to one another, the customers and the patients in a holistic approach to business and service delivery.
11. Harlan was a biotech developer before founding Adaptive
Before Harlan Robins and his brother Chad founded Adaptive Biotechnologies in 2009, Harlan was working on the same kind of technology while he was employed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The two brothers are working off of the tech that was developed by Harlan in the first place.
12. They’re pioneers
The professionals at Adaptive Biotechnologies are pioneers in their field who have compiled what was previously known about the human immune system and developed innovative new ways of breaking down complex interactions of the components. It’s taken a collaborative effort among those with specific talents and skills with one single vision for understanding the function and processing of the adaptive immune system to fully understand its capabilities to recreate a similar structure that will combat diseases and destroy them.
13. The Adaptive staff is a team
Everyone involved in Adaptive Biotechnologies is a team player because this is the most effective way of making rapid progress that is necessary. Experts in computational biology, software development, immunology, and sequencing are joining forces to meet every day to discover more about the adaptive immune system and enter the information in a database for processing. Every shred of information that is input is key in creating the total picture that will allow developers to understand the vital functions necessary for replication.
14. The mission is one we should all embrace
Adaptive Biotechnologies embraces their mission and it’s one that all of mankind can agree to. It is simply this: “We aim to improve people’s lives by translating the scale and precision of their adaptive immune systems into products to diagnose, treat and monitor disease.”
15. Most employees are happy with their jobs
We checked on Glassdoor to assess the input of people who have worked for Adaptive Biotechnologies. What we discovered is that there are pros and cons associated with the work there. In general, it sounds like a great place to work but there are a few things which could be improved upon. Most agree that the perks are great. Adaptive provides their employees with free food and drinks and there is a great opportunity for professional growth at the company. There is also an extremely high level of satisfaction with the current CEO. On the downside, some have voiced frustrations with middle management and stated that there are conflicting orders from different people. There is a ton of work to be done in a “very fast-paced” environment and there is no room for error. Also, parking space is scarce and they could improve on a 401K plan for workers.
16. Adaptive has had some successful funding rounds and through these campaigns, they’ve raised a total of $406.9 million. The lead investors for the rounds include Matrix Capital Management raising $195 million, then another $94 million, Viking Global Investors raising $100 million, then another $5 million, and an additional $12.9 million from miscellaneous investors. Adaptive is a company that big money believes in and they’ see the potential benefits not only for improving the health of people all over the world but also in the prospects for big financial returns on the investments which they have made in the research and development company.
17. Adaptive focuses on inherent biology
We loved what we read in a description posted about the goals of the company. They maintain a focus on “harnessing the inherent biology of the adaptive immune system.” This places a distinct emphasis on the powerful inner workings of the adaptive immune system. This suggests that decoding the adaptive immune system will equip diagnosticians and those developing treatments with the knowledge for breaking through the previous barriers which have prevented early detection and effective treatment of a variety of diseases.
18. They’re working on tailored products for the individual
Can you imagine what medicine will have to offer when the physicians and treatment specialists can accurately and quickly diagnose medical conditions including autoimmune, infectious and cancers? What’s more, when they can develop products which are tailored to meet the diagnostic and treatment needs of each person on an individual basis, there could be a decrease in suffering and a longer life expectancy. This seems surreal, but it is precisely what Adaptive Biotechnologies is working on currently.
19. There is a potential to change the world of medicine
We see the tremendous potential for the field of medicine to change drastically in the wake of the discoveries made by Adaptive Biotechnologies. Could this be the breakthrough that we’ve all been waiting for in treating some of the most stubborn, treatment-resistant diseases which are becoming more prevalent throughout the world? Our impression is yes, the possibilities are increasing into likelihoods with each passing day. With better testing instruments we could save billions in testing fees through the use of a single test that has the potential for diagnosing multiple diseases with one assay. There is also potential to save insurance companies billions, as well as the end-users, the clinics and hospitals, and each stakeholder.
20. Adaptive Biotechnologies stock is currently available
For those of you who are interested in a stock investment with high payout potential, you might want to consider checking out the current statistics for Adaptive. They had an amazing IPO and although the stock prices fell shortly thereafter, this is a good time to invest, while prices are low. The outlook for profit is good concerning the future performance of the stock. Adaptive Biotechnologies made the news when the company went public, and there were investors lined up to get in on the ground floor of the action. It is certainly a stock that bears watching, at least for possible future reference, if not for immediate investing.
