T2 Biosystems Recognizes Sepsis Awareness Month with Thought Leadership Campaign and Participation in Sepsis Alliance Health Equity Pledge
Leading rapid diagnostics company aims to increase awareness of sepsis diagnosis, management and treatment
LEXINGTON, Mass., Sept. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — T2 Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTOO), a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens, today announced efforts in recognition of Sepis Awareness Month to educate on the importance of rapid diagnostic technologies at a time when sepsis is the most common complication observed in severe cases of COVID-19.1,2
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk for infections, as patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are 22 percent more likely to develop sepsis and 113 percent more likely to experience septic shock as compared to influenza patients.3 COVID-19 patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) have significantly longer hospitalizations and a higher rate of ICU admission and mortality compared to those without BSIs.4 Given the need for education on this matter, T2 Biosystems will highlight sepsis as a critical public health issue throughout September via dedicated social media content and collateral, conference sponsorships, tradeshow presentations, and a continued partnership with Sepis Alliance to support key initiatives like the Sepsis Alliance Summit and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Pledge.
“While sepsis continues to cause the death of millions of people each year, it has more recently become a common complication for those battling severe cases of COVID-19,” said John Sperzel, Chairman and Chief Executive Offiicer of T2 Biosystems. “It’s widely-understood within the medical community that the early detection of sepsis is critical in improving patient outcomes and reducing the length of hospital stays. By partnering with prominent industry organizations and raising the awareness on the importance of culture-independent rapid diagnostics, like those offered by T2 Biosystems, we can help to save lives and improve outcomes.”
Sepsis is the body’s immune response to infection and is considered a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. It causes 11 million deaths worldwide5 each year, contributing to 20 percent of all deaths globally and taking more lives than cancer,6,7 and costs the U.S. healthcare system $62 billion annually.8 As part of its commitment to continuing this important conversation, T2 Biosystems is involved in several industry programs this September, including:
- Health Equity Pledge: Created by the Sepsis Alliance – the leading sepsis organization in the U.S. – the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Pledge is meant to foster health equity and mitigate the global challenges associated with antimicrobial resistance, sepsis and its underlying causes. T2 Biosystems joins other medical diagnostic, technology, and pharmaceutical companies supporting the pledge to drive diverse participation in clinical trials, better reach and educate diverse communities about products, make products more accessible, and increase diversity within its organization.
- Sepsis Alliance Summit: T2 Biosystems is the presenting sponsor of the second annual Sepsis Alliance Summit, a virtual summit hosted by Sepsis Alliance from September 14 – 16 that explores sepsis-related topics in healthcare. On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:45 a.m. ET, John Sperzel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of T2 Biosystems, will share his journey as a heart transplant recipient and sepsis survivor and lead an opening session titled “Rapid Diagnostics and the Impact on Sepsis”. At 11:30 a.m. ET, Aparna Ahuja, MD, Chief Medical Officer at T2 Biosystems, will lead the session, “Culture-Independent Testing: A New Way to Hurdle Obstacles for Detection of Sepsis-Causing Pathogens and Improve Patient Outcomes” and the Company will host a virtual booth as part of the exhibition.
- AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo: The American Association for Clinical Chemisty’s annual meeting, taking place in Atlanta, GA between September 26 – 30, will showcase cutting-edge science and technology shaping the future of laboratory medicine. On Tuesday, September 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET, T2 Biosystems will host a workshop titled, “It’s a New Era: Culture-Independent Tests for Rapid Detection of Sepsis-Causing Pathogens that Lead to Positive Healthcare Outcomes.
- IDWeek: IDWeek is the joint annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medical Association (HIVMA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) taking place virtually between September 29 and October 3. The conference provides an opportunity to learn from industry experts for the improvement of patient care and public health.
T2 Biosystems is committed to overcoming the challenges associated with diagnosing and treating bloodstream infections and sepsis, namely due to the lengthy time it currently takes to receive blood culture results, which typically takes days. T2 Biosystems’ T2Bacteria® Panel and T2Candida® Panel are the first and only FDA-cleared diagnostic tests to identify sepsis-causing pathogens directly from whole blood. This enables rapid, targeted therapy, which can help save lives and reduce hospital costs. Last year, the Company also received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test, the T2SARS-CoV-2™ Panel. The Panel runs on the Company’s FDA-cleared and fully-automated T2Dx® Instrument. To learn more, visit www.t2biosystems.com.
About T2 Biosystems
T2 Biosystems, a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens, is dedicated to improving patient care and reducing the cost of care by helping clinicians effectively treat patients faster than ever before. T2 Biosystems’ products include the T2Dx® Instrument, T2Candida® Panel, the T2Bacteria® Panel, the T2Resistance® Panel, and the T2SARS-CoV-2™ Panel and are powered by the proprietary T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR®) technology. T2 Biosystems has an active pipeline of future products, including the T2Cauris™ Panel, and T2Lyme™ Panel, as well as additional products for the detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens and associated antimicrobial resistance markers, and biothreat pathogens.
Media Contact:
Meagan Dominick, Vault Communications
mdominick@vaultcommunications.com
773-369-4255
Investor Contact:
Philip Trip Taylor, Gilmartin Group
philip@gilmartinIR.com
415-937-5406
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1 Zhou F, et al. Lancet. 2020; 395 (10229), 1054-1062. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30566-3/fulltext
2 Chen T, et al. BMJ. 2020; 368:m1091. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1091
3 Little DR, et al. Epic Health Research Network. 2020. https://ehrn.org/articles/sepsis-and-mortality-rates-are-higher-in-patients-hospitalized-for-covid-19-than-for-influenza
4 Khatri A, et al., Open Forum Infect Dis, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab339
5 Sepsis, World Health Organization. Accessed August 2021. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sepsis
6 Rudd KE, et al. Lancet. 2020;395(10219):200-211. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32989-7/fulltext
7 Cancer, World Health Organization. Accessed August 2021. https://www.who.int/health-topics/cancer#tab=tab_1
8 Buchman, T.G et al. Crit Care Med. 2020 48(3):302-318. https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/FullText/2020/03000/Sepsis_Among_Medicare_Beneficiaries__3__The.4.aspx
