Vivione Biosciences Inc. ("Vivione" or the "Company") (VBI), is pleased to announce a research collaboration with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine located in Chicago, Illinois. The collaboration will focus on the rapid detection of low levels of bacteria in clinical blood samples, as well the quantitative assessment of immune biomarkers related to sepsis. Working with Dr. Richard Wunderink in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the aim of this collaboration is to assess the performance of Vivione's RAPID-B bacterial detection system for detection of blood stream infections, where speed and high sensitivity are of particular importance.
"Working with a leading researcher in the area of infectious disease diagnostics like Dr. Rich Wunderink is a great step for Vivione. Dr. Wunderink's interest in quantitative bacterial detection for blood is a perfect next step in our clinical development of RAPID-B and sets the stage for the addition of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing using our platform's unique capabilities," said Vivione's Chief Medical Officer, Matthew Gombrich, M.D., M.S. "This test data will allow us to continue working in the rapid bacterial detection and sepsis testing markets establishing Vivione as a leader in infectious disease diagnostics," Gombrich continued. "Currently bacteremia and sepsis diagnostics represent a $4 billion market worldwide, and the predominant culture-based procedures take 12 to 24 hours on average to confirm the presence of bacteria, and an additional 24 to 48 hours to determine the subject bacteria's susceptibility to selected antibiotics. We believe that the RAPID-B system can combine these steps, shorten the detection period to under 7 hours, and yield more quantifiable results in the process."
Dr. Wunderink commented, "The need for more rapid assessment of bacterial presence in normally sterile body fluids such as blood, urine, and bronchial lavage fluid is well established and is vital to addressing the growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria. We're looking forward to assessing RAPID-B in this context, as well as the additional rapid antibiotic susceptibility profiling to determine the clinical utility of Vivione's platform."
"The involvement of a world-class academic center like Northwestern is further evidence of the growing interest in Vivione's RAPID-B platform. This collaboration strengthens the company's clinical development foundation and advances its strategic focus on infectious disease and sepsis," said Vivione CEO, Kevin Kuykendall. He continued, "Dr. Wunderink's academic and clinical reputation speaks for itself in the area of infectious disease and critical care medicine. Vivione could not think of a better collaborator as we move towards commercializing the RAPID-B platform in the clinical marketplace."
"Working with a leading researcher in the area of infectious disease diagnostics like Dr. Rich Wunderink is a great step for Vivione. Dr. Wunderink's interest in quantitative bacterial detection for blood is a perfect next step in our clinical development of RAPID-B and sets the stage for the addition of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing using our platform's unique capabilities," said Vivione's Chief Medical Officer, Matthew Gombrich, M.D., M.S. "This test data will allow us to continue working in the rapid bacterial detection and sepsis testing markets establishing Vivione as a leader in infectious disease diagnostics," Gombrich continued. "Currently bacteremia and sepsis diagnostics represent a $4 billion market worldwide, and the predominant culture-based procedures take 12 to 24 hours on average to confirm the presence of bacteria, and an additional 24 to 48 hours to determine the subject bacteria's susceptibility to selected antibiotics. We believe that the RAPID-B system can combine these steps, shorten the detection period to under 7 hours, and yield more quantifiable results in the process."
Dr. Wunderink commented, "The need for more rapid assessment of bacterial presence in normally sterile body fluids such as blood, urine, and bronchial lavage fluid is well established and is vital to addressing the growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria. We're looking forward to assessing RAPID-B in this context, as well as the additional rapid antibiotic susceptibility profiling to determine the clinical utility of Vivione's platform."
"The involvement of a world-class academic center like Northwestern is further evidence of the growing interest in Vivione's RAPID-B platform. This collaboration strengthens the company's clinical development foundation and advances its strategic focus on infectious disease and sepsis," said Vivione CEO, Kevin Kuykendall. He continued, "Dr. Wunderink's academic and clinical reputation speaks for itself in the area of infectious disease and critical care medicine. Vivione could not think of a better collaborator as we move towards commercializing the RAPID-B platform in the clinical marketplace."