More than a decade ago, Bobby Reddy Jr. roamed a hospital as he built his startup, observing how patient care began with a diagnosis and followed a set protocol. The electrical engineer thought he knew a better way: an artificial intelligence tool that would individualize treatment.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration has greenlighted such a test developed by Reddy’s company, Chicago-based Prenosis, to predict the risk of sepsis — a complex condition that contributes to at least 350,000 deaths a year in the U.S. It is the first algorithmic, AI-driven diagnostic tool for sepsis to receive the FDA’s go-ahead.
“In hospitals and emergency departments, we are still relying on one-size-fits-all, when instead we should be treating each person based on their individual biology,” said Reddy.
Under his leadership, Prenosis has built a proprietary biobank and dataset comprising over 110,000 blood samples from more than 27,000 patients, integrating biological and clinical data to create the world’s largest biological-clinical dataset for acute care patients. This data fuels Prenosis’ Immunix platform, which powers groundbreaking AI diagnostics.
In April 2024, Prenosis achieved a landmark milestone with FDA authorization for its Sepsis ImmunoScore, the first AI-driven biomarker for sepsis. This diagnostic tool, which uses 22 biological and clinical parameters to assess sepsis risk in real-time, has been hailed as a transformative innovation in healthcare. Shortly after, the company secured an exclusive distribution partnership with Roche Diagnostics and was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the best inventions of 2024.
According to Reddy, his passion for the business comes down to helping people. “We’re revolutionizing acute care with our novel understanding of immune response,” he said.
Reddy’s ability to distill complex scientific concepts into compelling narratives has been instrumental in Prenosis’ success. He has secured significant funding, built strategic alliances, and positioned Prenosis as a leader in AI-driven healthcare innovation. His work has been featured in major outlets such as The Washington Post, CNBC, and Fox Business, and he is a sought-after speaker at scientific conferences.
While Reddy has received numerous individual accolades, he is most proud of the potential impact his efforts have on improving outcomes for those suffering from acute care issues. “Bobby believes that we don’t have a good understanding of the complexity and heterogeneity of most diseases in hospitals,” said his staff. “What this means is that physicians are often lost and don’t have the right tools to understand the unique health state of many patients as they come in.”
Reddy’s passion lies in addressing the complexities of acute care. “My vision of healthcare is one where each patient’s unique biology is understood and treated with precision, replacing the one-size-fits-all model,” he said.