The biotech company OWL Genomics has obtained Basque Government authorisation that certifies it as a diagnostic centre for steatosis (fatty liver disease) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (inflammation caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, which is not due to an alcoholic habit and is usually one of the main causes of liver cirrhosis cirrosis hepática). This accreditation is a fundamental step for the impending marketing of the first diagnostic system for these two liver diseases developed by this company located in the Bizkaia Technology Park.

The product developed by OWL Genomics, in collaboration with the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and with the participation of other reference centres on liver diseases, is called Owl Liver and is the first in vitro diagnosis method that determines the state of the illness with a simple blood analysis. It is an effective and non-invasive method that enables periodic monitoring of patients while avoiding the costs and complications of invasive diagnostic techniques.

Founded in 2002, the primary goal of OWL Genomics is the identification and validation of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in highly-prevalent complex illnesses and focusing initially on liver-related diseases. The company, which develops pioneering applications in preventive medicine, focuses its activity on the development of early diagnostic and prognostic systems for hepatic and metabolic diseases, as well as on the identification of therapeutic targets for different pathologies that have no good alternative treatment.