- Publication demonstrates that the FDA-cleared Acuitas AMR Gene Panel detects and differentiates a wide range of 28 AMR markers that can be associated with up to 9 classes of antimicrobials
- Delivers results at least a day earlier than traditional methods to guide patient management and support antibiotic stewardship and infection control programs
- Association of Acuitas AMR Gene Panel markers with culture “non-responsive” results is a key differentiator
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 10 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN, “OpGen”), a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and informatics to help fight infectious diseases, announced today today the publication of a new publication in a peer-reviewed journal that demonstrates that the AMR Acuitas® Gene Panel accurately detects and differentiates 28 genetic markers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) made on isolated colonies of 26 different pathogens , including Pseudomonas aeruginosaselect the members of Enterobacteriaceaeand Enterococcus faecalisand it associates AMR genes with non-susceptible (i.e. intermediate, resistant) antimicrobial susceptibility (AST) results for up to 9 classes or subclasses of antimicrobials.
OpGen’s clinical trial used for FDA submission of the Acuitas AMR Gene Panel was conducted at four US study sites and included testing of 1,224 anonymized stocks created from 584 retrospectively collected isolates and 83 clinical isolates collected prospectively. Acuitas AMR Gene Panel results were compared to a combined reference standard including whole genome sequencing (WGS), organism identification, and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing using culture standard microbiological. The results of this study have just been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and the authors found that the AMR Acuitas Gene Panel is capable of detecting and differentiating a wide range of 28 AMR markers that can be associated with up to 9 classes of antimicrobials from cultured isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosaselect the members of Enterobacteriaceaeand Enterococcus faecalis with ≥94.4% positive agreement (PPA) and ≥96.5% negative agreement (NPA) against a composite reference standard, including WGS, in just 2.5 hours.
In this publication titled “Multicenter Evaluation of the AMR Acuitas® Gene Panel for the Detection of an Expanded Panel of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Among Bacterial Isolates1“, the authors note that “the association of AMR markers with non-responsive phenotypic results is a key differentiator of the FDA-approved Acuitas AMR Gene Panel compared to other molecular panels that simply detect the presence or absence of ‘a gene. Associated agents include many of the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial agents, including beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and aminoglycosides. The authors conclude that “this is the first commercially available, FDA-cleared diagnostic tool capable of detecting a wide range of AMR markers among some Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa and E.faecalis from cultured isolates, with the ability to associate non-susceptible results for 9 classes or subclasses of antimicrobials faster than traditional phenotypic methods by at least a day to guide patient management and support programs antibiotic stewardship and infection control.
Several clinical cases illustrating the potential utility of the Acuitas AMR Gene Panel were presented during a recent webinar titled “Discovering the FDA-cleared Acuitas AMR Gene Panel: Building a Case for Clinical Utility”. The advantages of the Acuitas AMR Gene Panel over other currently available molecular testing methods were summarized by the speakers as follows: 1) AMR detection and binding to a particular organism; 2) 2.5 hour turnaround time; and 3) offering the most comprehensive RAM panel, including non-beta-lactam RAM genes, and those for what might be considered “recovery antibiotics” such as colistin. The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.
A recent publication2 in The Lancet confirms the rapid spread of AMR infections and highlights that approximately 4.95 million deaths were associated with AMR in 2019, and that between 2014 and 2019 the burden of deaths directly attributable to bacterial AMR increased from 700 000 to 1.27 million. The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance to public health is exacerbated by existing and newly developed antibiotics facing a wide range of drug resistance mechanisms in pathogens of concern. Recent Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Treatment Guidance for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections3 highlights how detecting AMR genes or a specific resistance mechanism can help guide reporting practices for new antimicrobial agents and tailor therapy to these difficult-to-treat infections. Additionally, it can assist with infection prevention and control initiatives such as patient isolation procedures when multiple isolates with the same AMR profile are detected as an early indication of transmission within a facility or for the Monitoring for serious or emerging RAM threats. “The Acuitas AMR Gene Panel is a unique and powerful diagnostic tool useful in clinical patient care as well as supporting hospital infection control and epidemiology programs to identify and track AMR pathogens,” said Faranak Atrzadeh, Director of Marketing and Chief Scientific Affairs Office of OpGen.
About OpGen, Inc.
OpGen, Inc. (Rockville, MD, USA) is a precision medicine company that harnesses the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to fight infectious disease. Together with our subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH, we develop and market molecular microbiology solutions that help guide clinicians with faster, actionable insights into life-threatening infections to improve patient outcomes and reduce the spread infections caused by multidrug-resistant diseases. microorganisms or MDRO. OpGen’s product portfolio includes Unyvero®, Acuitas® AMR Gene Panel and the ARES technology platform, including ARESdb®, utilizing NGS technology and AI-powered bioinformatics solutions for antibiotic response prediction.
For more information, visit www.opgen.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release includes statements regarding the release of results from a recent Acuitas AMR Gene Panel study. These and other statements regarding OpGen’s future plans and objectives constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor of liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control and may cause results to differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully, timely and cost-effectively develop, seek and obtain regulatory clearance to and commercialize our product and service offerings, the rate of adoption of our products and services by hospitals and other healthcare providers, the fact that we may not effectively utilize the proceeds of recent financings, the continued realization of the expected benefits of our business combination transaction with Curetis GmbH, the success of our marketing efforts, the continued impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operations, financial results and marketing efforts as well as on financial markets and general economic conditions, the effect on our business of existing and new regulatory requirements, and other factors onomic and competitive. For a discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with OpGen’s business, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
OpGen:
Olivier Schacht
President and CEO
InvestorRelations@opgen.com
OpGen press contact:
Matthew Bretzius
FischTank Marketing and PR
matt@fischtankpr.com
OpGen Investor Contact:
Alyssa Factor
Edison Group
afactor@edisongroup.com
1 https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/JCM.02098-21
2 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33106864/
