Cork-based biotech firm Metabolomic secures €1.6m in funding

Cork-based biotechnology company Metabolomic Diagnostics has secured a further $2m (€1.6m) in funding to complete the development of its life-saving screening test for pregnant mothers which it hopes to launch next year.

The company was set up to commercialise pre-eclampsia screening technology developed by professor Louise Kenny at Cork UCC.

Affecting almost 7.5 million pregnancies per year, pre-eclampsia is the single greatest cause of premature births and is still responsible for the deaths of more than 75,000 mothers and half a million babies each year.