Specific Diagnostics Announces Evaluation Agreement with the French National Reference Centre for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (INSERM UMR1184 RESIST unit)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Specific Diagnostics today announced it has entered into an evaluation agreement with the NRC (National Referecnce Centre) for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) at Bicêtre Hospital (INSERM UMR1184 RESIST unit), Paris, France. The study is being led by Dr. Laurent Dortet, an Associate Professor at Hôpital Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France, and will evaluate the ability of the Reveal System to detect and characterize resistance of Gram-negative bacteremia samples, particularly those "superbugs" that exhibit resistance to carbapenems, the most powerful antimicrobials available.

"With the rise of antibiotic resistance, this study is more important than ever," said Dr. Paul A. Rhodes, CEO of Specific. "Along with our 6 evaluations currently underway in France, we look forward to the results of this study as we enter the European market."

Two evaluations will be completed at Kremlin Bicetre under Dr. Dortet's leadership, along with his co-director Dr. Thierry Naas, during the four-month agreement. The first will validate the recently reported (Tibbets et al, medRxiv) accuracy of Reveal with clinical samples, and the second will be focused on confirmation and characterization of the Reveal System's sensitivity in the detection and quantitative characterization of carbapenem resistance in a set of carbapenem-resistant samples maintained by the French National Reference Centre for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.

"We're excited for the opportunity to evaluate the Reveal System's capability to detect and characterize resistance to the carbapenem class of antimicrobial agents in carbapenem-resistant organisms which arise in the French hospital system," said Dr. Laurent Dortet, co-Director of the CRE NRC, France's national center for surveillance of these superbugs. "Having a same-shift phenotypic susceptibility test for blood infections could allow life-saving escalations of therapy for this deadly condition."

Specific's Reveal furnishes a phenotypic MIC directly from a positive blood culture sample in an
average of 5 hours, according to a recently announced study (Tibbetts et al, medRxiv
2021). Based upon arrays of nanoporous sensors responsive to the volatiles emitted by growing
microorganisms, the Reveal system has the high throughput, low cost, broad and flexible
antibiotic menu, and ease of use suitable for wide adoption.

About Specific

Specific Diagnostics has developed in vitro diagnostic systems based upon a unique, patented metabolomic signature technology that enables rapid detection and identification of microorganisms as they grow in culture. Its first commercial application applies this fundamental new platform to the rapid determination of antimicrobial susceptibility directly from positive blood cultures, as well as isolate dilutions. Specific is based in Mountain View, CA, with subsidiaries in Ireland, France and the UK.

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Media Contact

Jeff Holman, Specific Diagnostics, 3176179153, [email protected]

SOURCE Specific Diagnostics