Working in biotechnology means getting used to dealing with complex systems. Molecular biology is one of, if not the most fiendishly complex of all sub-fields of biology, with thousands of proteins, genes, cofactors, membranes, gradients, and other moving parts to consider, and the path from enzymes and ion pumps to medical-scale results is often not obvious and takes much testing to illuminate. On top of that, the business side of biotech, especially medical biotechnology, involves dealing with suppliers, market conditions, patents, health insurance billing, health record systems, and more, which is a tall order. Josh Arant and Chad Price of Mako Medical had to deal with all these challenges from the outside, as entrepreneurs without laboratory experience, and the result was a laboratory medical testing firm that has become a key pillar of the United State’s COVID response.
Unusual among biotech startups, Mako Medical did not start as a laboratory technician’s patent or pet project. “So, we didn’t really know what specific business,” Arant explains, “but we felt like the combination of our skills, we could be successful.” To pick their field, Arant and Price considered many options, looking for one with a high barrier to entry, high market consolidation around a few key players ripe for disruption, and the chance to make the world a better place. That tall order brought them to medical laboratory testing, an underappreciated aspect of the medical system. Anyone who has been in the hospital and been told that their blood or other samples had to go “to the lab” before doctors and nurses could act has interacted with this part of the medical system, and more people than ever are at least aware of it in 2023 thanks to multiple years of SARS-CoV-2 testing. Mako Medical aims to be a small, nimble, user-friendly, cost- effective alternative to conventional testing laboratories. They rapidly emerged as a preeminent laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 tests, including antibody tests, and took this opportunity to also develop online patient portals for getting results to patients and doctors faster and more securely. Along the way, they created a mascot, Mikey the Mako, who tours classrooms and events to encourage testing and generate publicity for their firm.
Arant and Price get their passion for this venture from their families. Arant’s father is the proprietor of a manufacturing company, giving Josh a clear view into the challenges of entrepreneurship. Price, on the other hand, came to the field of biomedical testing via caring for his ailing sister, and from there, interacting directly and at length with this part of the United State’s healthcare system and seeing how much better it could be. With such a personal stake in improving the laboratory side of healthcare, it’s little wonder Mako Medical has come as far as it has. This has also influenced Mako’s behavior in other ways, including a commitment to hiring American veterans and to doing charitable work around the world.
To hear more about how Mako Medical is changing the face of laboratory health testing, give our podcast a listen.
Leave a Reply