(PRWEB) May 15, 2015
GeneWEAVE, Inc., a clinical diagnostics company addressing multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDRO), announced that initial data presented at the SHEA Spring 2015 Conference demonstrates the ability for its Smarticles™ technology to detect CRE directly from rectal swab samples regardless of the resistance mechanism and without the need for sample preparation or previous culture. This abstract was one of twenty-four outstanding abstracts selected for the SHEA Abstract Award poster presentation. The Company’s Smarticles™ technology is a new class of molecular diagnostics that can quickly detect MDROs and assess antibiotic susceptibility directly from clinical samples. An abstract presenting analytical performance for a prototype Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) assay tested directly from nasal swabs was previously presented at the AMP Annual Meeting in November, 2014.
“We are excited by this data that supports the application of Smarticles™ technology to Gram-negative bacteria. The logarithmic increase in resistance mechanisms and global rise in related infections speaks to the need for better surveillance and diagnostic tools,” said Steve Tablak, CEO at GeneWEAVE. “In addition to ease of use, this poster indicates how our detection of molecular ‘systems’ can deliver fast and reliable susceptibility measurements regardless of the underlying resistance mechanism. These results suggest that even as bacteria develop novel resistance mechanisms, our tests will continue to provide reliable susceptibility data to enable successful infection prevention programs and personalized antibiotic selection.”
The emergence and spread of bacteria such as CRE and MRSA that are resistant to currently available antibiotics is a worldwide threat recently highlighted in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report, Antimicrobial Resistance Global Report on Surveillance 2014. As noted in a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publication, infections with CRE are particularly alarming as these have been associated with mortality rates up to 50%. Infections due to CRE are increasing at a rapid rate and have now spread to all but 2 states in the USA.
Surveillance programs to identify patients that are asymptomatic carriers of drug-resistant bacteria are a key factor for controlling the spread of these organisms. Quick access to test results in the same shift is needed to ensure that infection prevention measures may be enacted promptly. With Smarticles™ technology, GeneWEAVE is developing fast, direct-from-patient-sample tests for critical MDROs such as MRSA, CRE, and FRE (Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae) to allow healthcare providers to make time-critical decisions.
About GeneWEAVE
GeneWEAVE, Inc., based in Los Gatos, Calif., is a privately-held in vitro diagnostics company that is advancing clinical microbiology with diagnostic solutions to aid healthcare providers in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria by enabling impactful surveillance programs, early therapy guidance and successful antibiotic stewardship. The company’s innovative and proprietary Smarticles™ technology harnesses the power of biology to rapidly detect drug resistance and measure susceptibility information without the need for enrichment, culture, or sample preparation. We call this new paradigm, “Sample-In/Susceptibility-Out”.
GeneWEAVE and Smarticles are trademarks of GeneWEAVE, Inc. All rights reserved.