OpGen Subsidiary Ares Genetics Demonstrates Feasibility and Potential of Next Generation Sequencing Based Antibiotic Suscepti...
April 16 2020 - 7:30AM
OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN, “OpGen”), a precision medicine company
harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to
help combat infectious disease, announced today that a study on the
feasibility and potential of antibiotic susceptibility testing and
bacterial pathogen identification using next-generation sequencing
(NGS) has been pre-published in the Journal of Clinical
Microbiology. The study was performed by its newly acquired
subsidiaries Ares Genetics GmbH and Curetis GmbH, and scientists at
the Max Perutz Labs (Austria), a joint venture of the University of
Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna, and the Mayo Clinic
(Rochester, MN, U.S.A.).
The article titled, “Species Identification and
Antibiotic Resistance Prediction by Analysis of Whole Genome
Sequence Data Using ARESdb - An Analysis of Isolates from the
Unyvero Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Trial” (Ref. 1) reports
on a study evaluating the performance of pathogen identification
and antibiotic susceptibility testing based on whole genome DNA
sequencing (WGS) using Ares Genetics’ AI-powered cloud-based
bioinformatics platform ares-genetics.cloud and its underlying
reference database, ARESdb.
WGS-predicted susceptibility to antibiotics
showed 89% categorical agreement with the current reference method
of broth microdilution susceptibility testing across a total of 129
pathogen-drug pairs analyzed. Categorical agreement exceeded 90% in
78, and reached 100% in 32 pathogen-drug pairs. For the taxonomic
identification of the isolated bacterial pathogens, WGS showed 99%
and 93% concordance with the MALDI-ToF reference method at the
genus and species levels, respectively.
The study evaluating the AI-powered
ares-genetics.cloud platform and the underlying ARESdb reference
database included 12 pathogenic bacterial species and 21 antibiotic
compounds covering common lower respiratory tract pathogens and is
likely one of the most comprehensive peer-reviewed reports on the
performance of WGS in predicting susceptibility to antibiotics in a
multi-center U.S. trial.
Dr. Andreas Posch, CEO of Ares Genetics and
senior author of the study, commented, “This multi-center study
clearly demonstrates the feasibility and potential of
next-generation sequencing based antibiotic susceptibility testing
using our AI-powered cloud platform. Already today, we are offering
cloud-based data interpretation and next-generation sequencing
services for research use which we intend to roll out more broadly
based on these validating results. Equally important, we learned
through the study how to optimize our reference database, ARESdb,
and improve our predictive models to further advance to
applications in clinical practice.”
In this study, the investigators analyzed WGS
data of a total of 620 bacterial strains isolated from more than
2,000 clinical samples collected from patients with suspected lower
respiratory tract infections at nine hospitals across the U.S. The
samples were originally collected for a U.S.-FDA study for the
validation of the now FDA-cleared Unyvero LRT syndromic multiplex
PCR panel by Curetis. Species identity of the isolated pathogens
and their susceptibility to antibiotics were analyzed using
MALDI-ToF and broth microdilution, respectively, as best-in-class
reference methods according to current practice.
The WGS data analysis was performed using Ares
Genetics’ proprietary database, ARESdb, with state-of-the-art
open-source tools and public data. At the time of the study, ARESdb
comprised of curated genotype-phenotype data for approximately
35,000 bacterial strains. To date, ARESdb has further grown
containing matched whole-genome sequencing and antibiotic
susceptibility data for more than 50,000 bacterial strains and more
than 100 antibiotics.
Microbial infections and antibiotic resistance
have become major healthcare challenges with rapidly spreading
antimicrobial resistance estimated to have caused 700,000 deaths
globally in 2016, a number that is projected to dramatically
increase to 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if no
countermeasures are taken (Ref. 2). At the same time, few novel
antibiotics are in development and prominent pharmaceutical
companies have cut back their R&D efforts in the infectious
diseases space. In the absence of novel treatment options, we
believe novel diagnostic approaches to allow for rapid
identification of causative pathogens and their susceptibility to
available treatment options are urgently needed to guide
appropriate therapy of patients while enabling prudent and informed
use of antibiotics.
The study was supported through funding provided
by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency and the Vienna Business
Agency.
References
- Species Identification and
Antibiotic Resistance Prediction by Analysis of Whole Genome
Sequence Data Using ARESdb - An Analysis of Isolates from the
Unyvero Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Trial. Ines Ferreira,
Stephan Beisken, Lukas Lueftinger, Thomas Weinmaier, Matthias
Klein, Johannes Bacher, Robin Patel, Arndt von Haeseler and Andreas
E. Posch. 2020. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, DOI:
10.1128/JCM.00273-20
- The Review on Antimicrobial
Resistance. 2016. Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally:
Final Report and Recommendations. The Review on Antimicrobial
Resistance, chaired by Jim O’Neill, Wellcome Trust & HM
Gove
For further information, please register
on the Ares Genetics cloud platform:
https://ares-genetics.cloud/
or contact
Ares Genetics GmbH Karl-Farkas-Gasse 18 A-1030 Wien Austria
Email: services@ares-genetics.com
About OpGen, Inc.
OpGen, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD, USA) is a
precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular
diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease.
Along with our subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH,
we are developing and commercializing molecular microbiology
solutions helping to guide clinicians with more rapid and
actionable information about life threatening infections to improve
patient outcomes, and decrease the spread of infections caused by
multidrug-resistant microorganisms, or MDROs. OpGen’s product
portfolio includes Unyvero, Acuitas AMR Panels and Acuitas
Lighthouse, and the ARES Technology Platform including ARESdb,
using NGS technology and AI-powered bioinformatics solutions for
antibiotic response prediction.
For more information, please visit
www.opgen.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements regarding
the development of diagnostic tests by subsidiaries of OpGen. Such
statements 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 from 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 which 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 for
and commercialize our product and services offerings, the rate of
adoption of our products and services by hospitals and other
healthcare providers, the success of our commercialization efforts,
the effect on our business of existing and new regulatory
requirements, and other economic and competitive factors. For a
discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties
associated with OpGen's business, please review 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 Contact: Michael Farmer Vice President,
Marketing (240) 813-1284 mfarmer@opgen.com
Press Contact: Matthew Bretzius FischTank
Marketing and PR matt@fischtankpr.com
Investor Contact: Joe Green Edison Group
jgreen@edisongroup.com
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