Genesee News

Michigan Business Network’s Bottom Line I.T.'s Mike Maddox interviewed Mike Klein, CEO of Genomenon, an Ann Arbor company focused on connecting patient DNA to genomic research being conducted every year.

“As you know, genomics and genetics, right, you’re seeing and hearing a lot about that with '23 and Me' on the consumer front. But on the medical front, it really is a key driver in precision medicine. So making sure the right drugs are applied to the right makeup of your personal genetics -- and that can apply in cancer, that can apply in rare diseases or neurodegenerative diseases -- but beyond that, it’s also used for diagnosing everything from rare diseases to the type of cancer and the best way to treat you,” Klein told Bottom Line I.T.

Klein said that his company’s purpose is working towards two ends: firstly, to help doctors save infants born with rare diseases and, secondly, driving precision medicine development.

Genomenon began in 2014 with a dream of creating better methods to accomplish both of these goals. 

“I joined the company about three years ago, just as they were about to get ready to go commercial with the product,” Klein told Maddox.

Klein arrived right as the company went to market and was able to help with scaling, which is his forte.

“This is my fourth company — my fourth start-up, I should say. I was looking actually to do a much more mature company; the last company I helped grow from $2 million to $20 million,” Klein said on the podcast.

Klein said that he fell in love with what Genomenon was doing and wanted to get involved as the company began to pioneer the field of precision medicine.

“It’s so exciting to be in a space that's going to completely change medicine as we know it,” Klein told Maddox.