OpGen and District of Columbia Hospital Association Complete First Citywide Quantification of Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Prevalence in Washington, D.C.-based Healthcare Facilities

Consortium of Washington, D.C. Health Organizations and OpGen test over 1,000 patient samples for antibiotic resistant bacteria

OpGen’s Acuitas® detection technology provides surveillance to put city ahead of MDROs and leads to proactive intervention protocols

GAITHERSBURG, Md. and WASHINGTON, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OpGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPGN) and the District of Columbia Hospital Association (DCHA) today announced the completion of a citywide evaluation with Washington, D.C.’s public health departments to gauge the prevalence of the multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in healthcare facilities throughout the District of Columbia. 

The results revealed the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and other carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO) was 5.1% and 6.4%, respectively. The study also reported a wide range of variability across the 16 institutions tested providing direction for concentrated intervention. Full results of the study will be reported in upcoming publications. 

“The study was very successful and we met our goal with broad participation across the District. More than 1,000 samples were collected from 16 facilities, providing us with an enlightening snapshot about CRE and other MDROs in our facilities,” commented Jo Anne Nelson, D.C., DCHA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. 

Glenn Wortmann, M.D., Chief, Infectious Diseases Section, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said, “This collaboration and the testing methodology used provided valuable insights into the CRE issue. Fortunately, the number of patients experiencing invasive infections due to CRE is still relatively low, but this study demonstrates that approximately one in 20 patients in healthcare facilities carry the organism. Continued surveillance, careful and judicious use of our current antibiotics, and support for the development of new antibiotics are crucial to ensure that we’re able to continue to treat bacterial infections in the future.”

The DC Department of Health (DOH)-led study was being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Funding program.

“We are proud to have been a member of this collaborative effort and believe it is important for all to continue to work together to keep our hospitals and other healthcare facilities safe from these emerging and life-threatening bacteria,” said Evan Jones, Chairman and CEO of OpGen. “Our technology proved to be valuable in both understanding the epidemiology of CRE, and in being able to provide precise, early detection of threats that permitted clinicians to take the necessary precautions to protect patients and co-workers.”

About DCHA

Since its inception in 1978, the District of Columbia Hospital Association (DCHA) has advocated on behalf of the District’s hospitals to ensure they are able to thrive and provide residents and visitors of the District of Columbia with the world-class care they deserve. DCHA partners with agencies and legislators to develop policies that have a positive impact on District patients in our hospitals. With the continued changes in health care nationally, DCHA’s member hospitals collaborate with each other and key stakeholders across the District to raise quality and safety for all patients and their workforces. DCHA member hospitals will achieve this goal through a commitment to innovation, collaboration and a focus on District-specific issues and challenges. Learn more at www.dcha.org.

About OpGen

OpGen, Inc. is developing and deploying precision medicine tools to combat infectious disease in global healthcare settings, helping clinicians improve patient outcomes by providing more rapid information about life-threatening infections and decreasing the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. OpGen offers a full portfolio of in vitro diagnostic products and clinical laboratory services that employ state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics. Its QuickFISH® products are a suite of FDA-cleared and CE-marked diagnostics used to rapidly detect pathogens in positive blood cultures. Clinical laboratory services utilize the Acuitas® products, including the MDRO Gene Test, the Resistome Test, microbial Whole Genome Sequence Analysis, and Acuitas Lighthouse™ bioinformatics platform designed to detect, type, track and trend antibiotic resistant organisms in real-time. Learn more at www.opgen.com and follow OpGen on Twitter and LinkedIn

Evan Jones is a trustee of the Children’s National Medical Center, one of the participating hospitals.

OpGen Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release includes statements relating to the company’s products and services. These statements and other statements regarding our future plans and goals 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, the rate of adoption of our products and services by hospitals, 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 (SEC). 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 media contact:
Cammy Duong
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
781-591-3443
cduong@macbiocom.com

OpGen investor contact:
Kim Sutton Golodetz
LHA
212-838-3777
kgolodetz@lhai.com

DCHA contact:
Dr. Jo Anne Nelson
Executive Vice President
202-682-1581
jnelson@dcha.org

 

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