Natantis has developed iSEP-SEQ, an under 6 hour workflow for the identification of sepsis-causing pathogens. 

 

iSEP-SEQ is a cell-free DNA metagenomic workflow able to identify any DNA-based pathogen (viruses, bacteria, as well as, fungi and various parasites) at species level, directly from a venous blood sample. iSEP-SEQ includes an innovative and proprietary automated microfluidic cfDNA extraction instrument and a rapid sequencing assay, delivering a clinically actionable result in the form of a list of top pathogens, all in under 6 hours.

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Clinical Impact

 

Rapid, accurate identification of infectious pathogens from non-invasive blood samples will lead to the timely initiation of targeted antimicrobial chemotherapy, saving patient lives, alleviating the need for additional invasive procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy/bronchoalveolar lavage), thus reducing the time spent in hospital and associated cost. In some cases, it will assist in the exclusion of bacteraemia, allowing earlier cessation of broad spectrum antibiotics (in many cases clinicians will continue antibiotics until the blood culture is negative at day 5) and improving patient flow in hospitals. iSEP-SEQ solution provides shorter time-to-result, without the need for high-capital investment, high-maintenance equipment.

 

With our solution, physicians will have access to a rapid, comprehensive pathogen identification workflow, including detection of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG). It is anticipated that the timely identification of the aetiologic agent and associated antimicrobial susceptibility patterns will improve the prognosis of patients with severe infections and allow etiologic surveillance for public health systems