California medical research lab expanding to Schaumburg

A California-based medical research company that began with a focus on cancer testing and has since branched out into infectious diseases like COVID-19 is making Schaumburg its first step on a journey toward nationwide expansion.

Predicine officially will begin operations Saturday in a facility just under 7,000 square feet at 1314 N. Plum Grove Road.

Winston Kuo, CEO for Infectious Diseases at the 7-year-old research and development firm, said between 50 and 60 employees will be based at the Schaumburg facility, though some will work remotely.

The most important reason for a company like Predicine to geographically expand is to find talent across the nation, as well as to partner with different hospitals and medical facilities serving ethnically diverse populations that will make medical testing more generally effective, he said.

"You really need a community to make strides in cancer," Kuo added.

Regional Vice President Ricky Kim added that the three major goals of Predicine's testing products are to make them accurate, available and affordable.

"The pandemic has brought us great insight," Kim said.

Despite the differences between cancer and infectious diseases, there can be similarities at the level they're diagnosed, he added. And earlier detection of infectious diseases like HPV and hepatitis C can help in the treatment of the forms of cancer they cause - cervical and liver cancer, respectively.

Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said some of the reasons behind the traditionally California-based industry's move to the Chicago area include the availability of talent and cost of living.

Kuo said much of the hiring is planned to be in the Schaumburg area. While most big cities come with a higher level of expense, the Chicago area has an advantage over the San Francisco Bay Area, where Predicine has four buildings near each other, as well as its fifth in Orange County, California.

Schaumburg is a strategic site for its proximity to O'Hare International Airport, Kuo said. The Schaumburg facility is expected to be visited by doctors and researchers from across the U.S.

Future expansion is planned for Houston and then the East Coast.

Though the public is weary of COVID-19, the research of it, similar infectious diseases and their long-term effects is just ramping up to help create a better prepared world, Kuo said.

"The lessons learned from this is that this can happen to anyone," he added. "Predicine wants to be a community integrator."