"There are about 7,000 rare diseases (those with low incidence rates among the population) of which about 80% have a genetic origin. According to the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases, patients with these disorders have the highest rates of misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose. To address this situation, David Schlesinger founded Mendelics Company in 2011. This firm is dedicated to interpreting genomic information that identifies the cause of genetic diseases.
Schlesinger received a degree in Medicine from the University of São Paulo (Brazil). With his mother as a biologist and his father as an engineer, nobody was surprised that his professional development included a confluence of various scientific interests: bioinformatics, molecular biology and clinical medicine. To complete his training he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Human Genetics at the same university where he studied his degree in medicine, followed by postdoctoral studies at the Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston (USA).
Back in São Paulo and before creating Mendelics, he founded a start-up of electronic medical records which he subsequently sold. In this context, he decided to create a genomic, diagnostic laboratory to become an industry leader in Brazil and beyond its borders.
The diagnostic service provided by Mendelics applies to thousands of inherited genetic diseases, such as certain types of breast and ovarian cancer, congenital and cardiomyopathies and hereditary immunodeficiencies. Since the foundation of the company, this entrepreneur has managed to provide a reference service to researchers, doctors and patients in Brazil. “We have achieved a success rate in more than 50% of the cases, even more than competing institutions,” says Schlesinger.
The success of his proposal comes from taking advantage of the most advanced technologies such as next generation DNA sequencing, and creating diagnostic tools capable of benefiting from them. Schlesinger says that the key to the work he has carried out with his team has been to integrate in the software “medical knowledge and the problem of the volume of diagnostic data” in the software.
The role of this young doctor in Mendelics has evolved since its foundation. At first a lack of means forced him to work in all areas, an experience that now he applies to management. But his most important contribution was the coordination of the technological department. He helped to design bioinformatics tools and the most optimal procedures for laboratory work."
