Immunexpress Announces Grant of U.S. Patent Covering the Differentiation of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Sepsis-Causing Bacteria

The patent includes classification techniques using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ribosomal DNA of sepsis organisms

Identification and classification of sepsis organisms leads to improved antibiotic decision-making

News provided by

Immunexpress, Inc.

Nov 21, 2019, 07:30 ET

SEATTLE, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Immunexpress, Inc. today announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Patent No. U.S. 10,364,474 B2, which covers single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ribosomal DNA of bacteria and fungi. Immunexpress plans to use the SNPs to identify and classify sepsis microbes in clinical patient samples.

Immunexpress' technology, SeptID™, can identify sepsis-causing bacteria as Gram-positive, Gram-negative or mixed. Treating clinicians use the results of a Gram stain, a technique for the preliminary classification of bacteria, to manage antibiotic treatment regimens for patients suspected of sepsis. However, current methods that rely on microbial growth take approximately 24 hours from blood sample collection to Gram stain results, thereby delaying early and appropriate treatment selection. SeptID™ can accurately determine Gram stain status from a whole blood sample containing a microbe from a sepsis patient in approximately one hour.

Richard Brandon, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Immunexpress and co-inventor on the patent, said, "For sepsis patients, early and accurate identification of a causative microbe and appropriate antibiotic choice leads to better patient outcomes and reduced hospital costs. The rapid turnaround time of SeptID™ to aid in antibiotic selection means clinicians are better equipped to treat sepsis patients, within a shorter timeframe."

Rolland D. Carlson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Immunexpress, added, "Our technology lends itself to rapid test development. It is currently formatted for an RT-qPCR machine but is not restricted to a particular technology. Our SeptID™ technology could transform the way clinicians recommend antibiotics for sepsis patients, and we are seeking strategic partners to help us achieve this goal."

About Immunexpress
Immunexpress is a Seattle-based molecular diagnostic company committed to improving outcomes for patients suspected of sepsis. Immunexpress' SeptiCyte™ technology rapidly quantifies, directly from whole blood, specific molecular markers from the patient's own immune system – the 'host response'. SeptiCyte™ LAB, recently cleared by the FDA, is the first of its kind in using the host immune system to differentiate systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis. Detecting the host's response to infection has the potential to differentiate infection earlier, faster and more accurately than finding the invading pathogen because it is independent of whether or not the pathogen is present in the sample. Immunexpress' pipeline includes several sample-to-answer assays for near-patient testing.
For more information visit http://www.immunexpress.com/.

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SOURCE Immunexpress, Inc.