In the News

Mirvie receives $4.6 million grant to study objective prediction of preeclampsia in Sub-Saharan Africa

August 2, 2023

Mirvie’s commitment to global maternal health supported by funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for study to predict preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide using the Mirvie RNA platform

First comprehensive care plan to prevent preeclampsia published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

April 28, 2023

Recommendations for high-risk expecting parents and health care providers to promote the prevention of preeclampsia, a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States

First ever “Future of Pregnancy Health” report reveals 9 out of 10 new or expecting moms want more information about their individual risk of pregnancy complications to optimize prevention

November 8, 2022

Mirvie's report spotlights urgent education opportunities as only 1 in 10 pregnant individuals or those who gave birth could correctly identify all the most common preeclampsia warning signs and symptoms

Mirvie expands leadership team with appointment of Alison Cowan, M.D. as Head of Medical Affairs

August 30, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced the appointment of Alison Cowan, M.D., M.S.C.R. as Head of Medical Affairs. Dr. Cowan will guide Mirvie’s continued clinical and commercial development of the proprietary Mirvie RNA platform, which is first to predict preeclampsia and preterm birth months before they happen by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy.¹

Mirvie raises $60 million funding round to shape the future of pregnancy health

May 17, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced it has raised a total of $90 million to date following the close of its Series B funding. The financing was led by Decheng Capital with additional funding from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Foresite Capital, General Catalyst, GV, Khosla Ventures, and Mayfield as well as a debt facility with Comerica Bank. The funding will support Mirvie’s continued clinical and commercial development of the proprietary Mirvie RNA platform, which is the first to predict preeclampsia and preterm birth months before they happen by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy.

Mirvie receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for first test designed to indicate risk of preeclampsia months before symptoms occur

May 3, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced the company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device designation for its test to indicate a woman’s individualized risk of developing preeclampsia before symptoms occur. The test is powered by the proprietary Mirvie RNA platform, which is designed to predict the risk of unexpected complications by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy.

Study published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to predict preterm birth by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy

April 13, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced the publication of a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a leading obstetrics and gynecology medical journal. The results demonstrate the Mirvie RNA platform is first to predict preterm birth by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy. The breakthrough research shows the platform can predict the condition months before symptoms occur and identify distinct biological pathways driving its development.

Late-breaking data presented at SMFM 2022 annual meeting shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to reveal the underlying biology of preterm birth

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced data presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 42nd Annual Pregnancy Meeting (SMFM 2022) demonstrates the Mirvie RNA platform is first to predict preterm birth by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy. The breakthrough research shows the platform can predict the condition months before symptoms occur and identify distinct biological pathways driving its development.

Study published in Nature shows Mirvie can predict pregnancy complications months before they happen using new, proprietary RNA platform

JANUARY 5, 2022

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced the publication of a study in Nature proving the proprietary Mirvie RNA platform is first to predict unexpected complications by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy. The research analyzed the largest and most diverse dataset of maternal transcriptomes to date. The platform opens a new window into pregnancy health for women to act and their doctors to intervene before unexpected complications become a crisis.

Mirvie is redefining pregnancy health by developing the first early detection RNA test to address pregnancy complications which impact 45 million women globally

APRIL 27, 2021

Pregnancy complications affect 45 million women globally each year, five times the rate of cancer incidence. Today there is no reliable way to identify those pregnancies at-risk. The goal of Mirvie’s simple blood test is the early detection of complications such as preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, which has the potential to reduce pregnancy healthcare costs by up to 65%.

Mirvie selected for Norrsken's 2023 Impact/100 List

Don’t you know there are literally thousands of people out there working on mind-blowing solutions to the world’s greatest challenges? That’s why we’ve created the Impact/100. It’s a list of the world’s most promising impact startups, as chosen by Norrsken and our partners. You could say a lot about them, but it’s basically this: It's 100 ways to fix the future.

Can precision pregnancy save more mothers?

“Tragic,” “heartbreaking,” and “totally preventable,” is how experts describe the death of 32-year-old American sprinter Tori Bowie in early May. But few are surprised that it happened, given the abysmal state of maternal healthcare in the U.S.

Mirvie receives $4.6 million grant from The Gates Foundation to study preeclampsia, a Leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide

Mirvie, a pioneer in predicting unexpected pregnancy complications, today announced a $4.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the company’s efforts to predict unexpected pregnancy complications before they happen by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy for women on a global scale.

America is failing its moms. Fathers can help change that

"We need more support from men and non-birthing parents alike — from scientists in the lab, researchers in the field, policymakers in all levels of government, and founders and investors with a passion for improving health — to achieve the universal mission of creating a world where every pregnancy is as safe and healthy as possible."

Olympic medalist Tori Bowie died in childbirth. What to know about maternal mortality, eclampsia and other labor complications.

"Tori's death exemplifies so many aspects of the challenges we face today in maternal health in the U.S.," says Dr. Alison Cowan, an OB-GYN and head of medical affairs at the health technology company Mirvie.

Here’s how we empower pregnant black women

It’s up to policymakers to end the Black maternal health crisis. But in the meantime, with the right tools, Black moms can feel more secure approaching the medical system.

Experts outline comprehensive preeclampsia prevention

A new report details a comprehensive strategy to prevent preeclampsia, which affects about 250,000 pregnant women a year in the United States and 10 million worldwide.

To prevent preeclampsia, experts push for broader blood pressure testing at home

Preventing preeclampsia — which affects about 5-7% of pregnant people worldwide every year — has benefits that stretch beyond pregnancy. Even if a pregnancy ends safely in a healthy birth, people with preeclampsia have more than twice the chance of developing cardiovascular disease later in life than those without it.

Maternal mortality rate in 2021 significantly higher than previous years

The maternal death rate significantly increased in 2021, with rates among Black people more than double that of their white counterparts, according to data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

WHO report reveals significant setbacks for maternal health

Chad has the highest maternal mortality globally, in staggering contrast to the one in 16,000 risk that a 15-year-old child in Australia or New Zealand has, the region with the lowest risk. The WHO report released last week contains innumerable sobering facts such as this one, that seem as though they more easily could have come from a 1923 report than from 2023.

USPSTF: Measure all pregnant persons’ BP at each visit to detect hypertension disorders

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released a draft recommendation stating all pregnant persons should have their BP measured at each prenatal visit to help identify and prevent complications of hypertension disorders.

Pregnancy biomarkers for advanced warning

Dr. Nick Van Terheyden of The Incrementalist podcast talks to Maneesh Jain, PhD CEO of Mirvie, that is bringing a level of personalization and safety to pregnancy with a revolutionary approach. Maneesh has an interesting back story that started as we unraveled the human genome and shares some important insights about that early work and the over-promised potential that was celebrated, but as he points out we had one, just one human genome sequenced.

Pregnancy complications heighten heart risks in later life. It’s time to pay attention

The American Heart Association has released its 2023 Statistical Update and the results are grim: In 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, more people died from cardiovascular-related causes than ever before: a staggering 928,741 deaths. While there are many causes of this increase, one is the increased burden that Covid-19 wrought on individuals’ bodies and entire systems.

Preventing maternal mortality: We need data to truly understand maternal health in the US

We often speak about the rising maternal mortality rate, but then we fail to dig into its underlying causes. We lack standardized reporting systems, such that different states track different outcomes using entirely different systems. We must view this as not only an opportunity for awareness, but also for action.

21st century pregnancy care: Unleashing the power of RNA

While maternal mortality is on the rise in the U.S., pregnancy health has seen little innovation in understanding the underlying biology of disease and is ripe for change. Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of the prediction of preeclampsia.

Over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Experts say the system needs to change: ‘It is not a safe place right now’

Of the nearly 1,000 pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. between 2017 and 2019, more than 80% of them could have been prevented, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on September 19.

2023 women's health outlook

Alison Cowan, MD, ob-gyn hospitalist and head of medical affairs at Mirvie, discusses the latest predictions for women’s health in 2023. From maternal mortality to preterm birth, Cowan dives into what health conditions will be affecting women most in 2023 and how the specialty is trying to combat these issues.

'Podnosis': The crisis in pregnancy care

Senior editor Heather Landi spoke with Alison Cowan, M.D., head of medical affairs at personalized pregnancy startup Mirvie and a practicing OB-GYN, about how to improve and modernize the U.S. healthcare system for pregnant women.

Mirvie’s first “Future of Pregnancy Health” report reveals what new or expecting moms want from pregnancy care

Only 1 in 10 survey respondents were able to identify all of the common warning signs of preeclampsia correctly. However, 75% report they have a good understanding of preeclampsia and 59% report discussing their preeclampsia risk with their pregnancy care provider

CDC: 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable

It is astounding and unacceptable that over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, and it should galvanize us all to action. The best cure is prevention, and we should all do everything possible to stop these diseases before they take hold. At Mirvie, we aim to help patients and doctors by providing tools to predict preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications months before they arise.

How Mirvie is building an RNA platform to predict pregnancy complications sooner

If OB/GYNs have the technology to determine who is at risk for complications like preeclampsia and preterm birth, they can work with patients and their midwives to create a more tailored pregnancy care plan. Personalized care plans usually lead to better health outcomes for mothers and their newborns, Dr. Cowan pointed out.

Mirvie RNA study predicts premature births 2 months in advance

In addition to giving patients and their healthcare providers more time to prepare for and begin treating a potentially early birth, according to Michal Elovitz, M.D., chief medical advisor at Mirvie, since the study results shed new light on the underlying biology of preterm birth, the findings could also be used to help develop even more targeted treatments for the condition.

Mirvie developing cell-free RNA blood tests to predict pregnancy complications

Following compelling clinical results, pregnancy health startup Mirvie is poised to develop noninvasive, RNA-based blood tests that can predict pregnancy complications ahead of their symptoms.

Second-trimester blood test predicts preterm birth

A new blood test performed in the second trimester could help identify pregnancies at risk of early and very early spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB), based on a prospective cohort trial. The cell-free RNA (cfRNA) profiling tool could guide patient and provider decision-making, while the underlying research illuminates biological pathways that may facilitate novel interventions.

Mirvie wins breakthrough device designation for pre-eclampsia risk test

"Prenatal care as we know it in the U.S. was first developed to primarily diagnose pre-eclampsia, yet these protocols have not changed in over 50 years," said Eleni Tsigas, CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation. "Mothers and babies deserve more – there is an urgent need for innovation that not only identifies the risk of developing pre-eclampsia early, but also helps bring pregnancy health into the 21st century."

Mirvie granted breakthrough device designation for test to identify risk of preeclampsia

The Mirvie Preeclampsia Test is the first test for early identification of preeclampsia risk months before any clinical presentation of symptoms to receive FDA breakthrough designation, Mirvie said. “This designation shows the FDA recognizes the chasm between what’s available to expecting parents and doctors today and the need for a breakthrough to address this enormous problem,” said Maneesh Jain, CEO and co-founder of Mirvie.

Mirvie raises $60M to improve maternal health outcomes

The South San Francisco company is developing a platform to test and analyze RNA samples from pregnant people in order to detect markers from an array of complications that can occur during pregnancy. Mirvie's goal is to catch potential health conditions in the second trimester, much earlier than they are currently diagnosed which typically happens in the third trimester only after many symptoms appear.

Biotech company Mirvie raises $60M for its RNA platform focused on early prediction of pregnancy complications

Mirvie Co-founder & CEO Maneesh Jain shares: “At Mirvie, we find it unacceptable that pregnancy health has not advanced meaningfully in decades. We believe the Mirvie RNA platform can shape a new future of predictive, preventive, and personalized pregnancy care for the well-being of millions of expecting parents and babies. We are thrilled to welcome several top-tier investors who recognize this staggering unmet need and have backed us to make a difference.”

Predicting preeclampsia from a blood test holds promise for pregnancy complications

Preeclampsia is a potentially serious problem that usually surfaces late in pregnancy, posing an immediate risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, and death as well a later danger of stroke for the mother. New research published Wednesday in Nature shows how RNA molecules sequenced from a single blood sample could predict preeclampsia months before symptoms appear, holding promise for detecting and treating this and other pregnancy complications before they cause harm.

Michal Elovitz, MD, discusses new preterm birth data at SMFM

“We see very unique RNA profiles that are associated with the development of preterm birth months ahead of time. If we’re actually able to say, I not only can identify who is at risk, I can identify the biology that makes you at risk, it just opens up this whole new world for pregnancy health and for moms.”

Inside Precision Medicine – Bridging a gap in pregnancy health

After being neglected for many years, adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-eclampsia and preterm birth are now the focus of a small group of researchers and companies that are aiming to fill a much-needed gap in the clinical testing market.

Mirvie touts new data on preterm birth prediction for its personalized pregnancy health test

“Early detection of preterm birth and identification of distinct pathways driving it is a fantastic advance. This new knowledge has real potential to improve the application of existing interventions and aid the development of new therapies for preterm birth that directly target its cause.”

A blood test to predict complications of pregnancy

Cell-free RNA transcripts in maternal blood can be analysed to monitor the progression of pregnancy and to predict a potentially harmful pregnancy-specific condition called pre‑eclampsia.

Mirvie RNA test aims to predict pregnancy complications

Maneesh Jain, CEO and co-founder of Mirvie, a proprietary RNA platform that uses blood samples to predict pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, sits down with Contemporary OB/GYN to discuss the potential of the test.

Blood test may one day predict severe pregnancy complication

“It’s often in the first trimester that a lot of the onset of the condition happens biologically,” although symptoms show up late in pregnancy, said Maneesh Jain, Mirvie’s CEO. Detecting preeclampsia after symptoms arise “leaves you very little time to address the challenge. And it’s mostly crisis management.”

Blood testing identifies preeclampsia, disease risks in pregnancy months before symptoms

Researchers predicted preeclampsia in 75% of cases and preterm birth at nearly the same rate by analyzing maternal, fetal and placental RNA circulating in the mother’s blood during pregnancy, according to a study published in Nature.

Simple blood test is first to identify pregnant women at risk of pre-eclampsia even before any symptoms develop

The new research was conducted by a global collaborative involving experts at King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and US biotechnology firm Mirvie.

Maternal cell-free RNA can gauge preeclampsia risk months before symptoms, study finds

By comparing the cell-free RNA profiles of pregnant women with and without preeclampsia, the Mirvie-led team developed a model to predict who might develop the condition. The researchers found the model could identify three-quarters of women who would later develop preeclampsia early in their pregnancies.

New blood test could detect whether pregnant women will be affected by preeclampsia

A new blood test could detect whether pregnant women will be affected by preeclampsia, which can cause stroke, organ damage and preterm birth, months before its symptoms appear.

Simple test could predict dangerous blood pressure in pregnant women

The test would also be important because it does not depend on race (including race did not improve the predictions), but instead on what is actually happening at a biological level in that individual, the authors say.

Cell-free RNA testing for pregnancy complications

Mirvie is developing a revolutionary, cell-free RNA test using a simple blood sample to assess the risk of developing severe pregnancy complications.

Improving pregnancy health: How we can predict challenges sooner

Obstetrics has improved in treating conditions like preterm birth and preeclampsia, but the ability to predict who’s at risk is “ripe for exploration and innovation.”

Meet Mirvie, a Femtech startup creating a blood test for early detection of pregnancy complications

Earlier today Mirvie announced it is making rapid progress toward developing a simple, personalized blood test with the potential for early detection of pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, which affect 1 in 5 women. Currently, there is no reliable way to identify if a mother is at risk for these significant pregnancy complications.…

A former Grail exec and the president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub are developing a blood test to help expectant mothers understand the chances of pregnancy complications

With Mirvie, Quake and Jain are attempting to apply liquid biopsy technology more commonly found in oncology centers to pregnancy, a more common but significantly less funded area of research, according to Jain.

Noninvasive blood tests for fetal development predict gestational age and preterm delivery

Low-cost methods for monitoring fetal development could improve prenatal care, especially in low-resource settings. By measuring the levels of certain placental RNA transcripts in maternal blood…

10 Breakthrough Technologies 2019 – How we’ll invent the future.

We asked Gates to choose this year’s list of inventions that will change the world for the better. I was honored when MIT Technology Review invited me to be the first guest curator of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies…

Complications from preterm birth are the leading cause of death worldwide in children under five.

Fifteen million babies are born prematurely each year. Stephen Quake’s daughter, Zoe, was one of them: she arrived via emergency C-section after Quake and his wife, Athina, made a middle-of-the-night dash to the emergency room, a month before Zoe was due. She spent her first night in an incubator, and her father, a bioengineer then at Caltech, wondered why birth couldn’t be more predictable…

Catch up on our latest clinical research and news

Our rigorous clinical research shows the Mirvie RNA platform can predict preeclampsia and preterm birth months in advance.^1,2,3

Publications and Press Releases

Mirvie receives $4.6 million grant to study objective prediction of preeclampsia in Sub-Saharan Africa

First comprehensive care plan to prevent preeclampsia published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

First ever “Future of Pregnancy Health” report reveals 9 out of 10 new or expecting moms want more information about their individual risk of pregnancy complications to optimize prevention

Mirvie expands leadership team with appointment of Alison Cowan, M.D. as Head of Medical Affairs

Mirvie raises $60 million funding round to shape the future of pregnancy health

Mirvie receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for first test designed to indicate risk of preeclampsia months before symptoms occur

Study published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to predict preterm birth by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy

Late-breaking data presented at SMFM 2022 annual meeting shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to reveal the underlying biology of preterm birth

Study published in Nature shows Mirvie can predict pregnancy complications months before they happen using new, proprietary RNA platform

Mirvie is redefining pregnancy health by developing the first early detection RNA test to address pregnancy complications which impact 45 million women globally

Media Coverage

Our rigorous clinical research shows the Mirvie RNA platform can predict preeclampsia and preterm birth months in advance.1,2,3

Publications and Press Releases

Mirvie receives $4.6 million grant to study objective prediction of preeclampsia in Sub-Saharan Africa

First comprehensive care plan to prevent preeclampsia published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

First ever “Future of Pregnancy Health” report reveals 9 out of 10 new or expecting moms want more information about their individual risk of pregnancy complications to optimize prevention

Mirvie expands leadership team with appointment of Alison Cowan, M.D. as Head of Medical Affairs

Mirvie raises $60 million funding round to shape the future of pregnancy health

Mirvie receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for first test designed to indicate risk of preeclampsia months before symptoms occur

Study published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to predict preterm birth by revealing the underlying biology of each pregnancy

Late-breaking data presented at SMFM 2022 annual meeting shows the Mirvie RNA Platform is first to reveal the underlying biology of preterm birth

Study published in Nature shows Mirvie can predict pregnancy complications months before they happen using new, proprietary RNA platform

Mirvie is redefining pregnancy health by developing the first early detection RNA test to address pregnancy complications which impact 45 million women globally

Media Coverage

Our rigorous clinical research shows the Mirvie RNA platform can predict preeclampsia and preterm birth months in advance.^1,2,3