Artificial Intelligence
OpGen Provides Business and Pipeline Update and Announces Preliminary Unaudited Revenue and Cash Position for the Third Quarter 2020
- OpGen takes strategic steps to expand the Unyvero platform and product pipeline, to focus on the pending Acuitas AMR Gene Panel (isolates) FDA clearance and expects to invest significantly in bioinformatics
- OpGen subsidiary Ares Genetics received notification of exercise of option to negotiate for a potential future license by its IVD Partner
- OpGen to discontinue Acuitas AMR Gene Panel (urine) clinical trial and discontinue FISH product line globally by mid-2021
- Total Revenue for Q3 2020 was approximately $1.0 million dollars
- Maintained strong balance sheet with $10.4 million cash as of September 30, 2020
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN, “OpGen”), a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease, announced today that total preliminary unaudited revenue for the third quarter of 2020 was approximately $1.0 million, up from $648 thousand in the third quarter of 2019. The preliminary financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2020 reflect the consummation of our business combination with Curetis GmbH on April 1, 2020. The results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 will be included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and earnings release for the third quarter of 2020. OpGen’s cash as of September 30, 2020 was approximately $10.4 million. The company also expanded its capacity under its ATM program by an additional $6.4 million, and continues to have access to an additional EUR5.0 million tranche of non-dilutive debt financing for COVID-19 related R&D programs from the European Investment Bank.
In addition, the company announced details regarding a strategic reprioritization of its product portfolio, platform pipeline and priorities going forward. This reprioritization was based on feedback from extensive market research, a customer survey of 150 stakeholders in the decision making on new diagnostic platforms, and key opinion leader interviews conducted by an independent market research firm over the past two quarters. Following a review of this research, OpGen and its Board decided to consolidate the company’s product portfolio on its proprietary Unyvero platform and unique bioinformatics capabilities. As a result of this change in priority, the company anticipates the following key impacts:
- Product portfolio going forward to be centered around rapid, molecular diagnostic platform offerings and increased focus on value added bioinformatics solutions, including Ares Genetics’ next generation sequencing-based and artificial intelligence powered AMR and AST prediction capabilities.
- Following the successful completion of the three phases of the partnered R&D program as announced in the H1-2020 earnings call, Ares Genetics has recently received formal notification from its undisclosed global leading IVD corporation partner that they have exercised their option to exclusively negotiate with Ares Genetics the scope and terms of a potential exclusive license or other arrangement with Ares to Ares Genetics’ technology in the field of human clinical diagnostics in the coming months.
- Platform consolidation to realize significant operational synergies and cost savings over time as fewer products and platforms would need to be maintained from a regulatory, quality management and logistics and service standpoint.
- Unyvero platform and product portfolio to be expanded beyond lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia (LRT / LRT BAL) to include complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) and invasive joint infections (IJI) in the U.S. with clinical trials for future FDA submission and clearance anticipated to start in 2021. Products in both indications are fully developed and already CE-IVD marked and commercially available in Europe and other markets.
- Acuitas AMR Gene Panel for Isolates expected to see near term clearance decision by the U.S. FDA after OpGen’s October 2020 submission of a formal response to the FDA’s January 2020 Request for Additional Information (AI) request. If cleared by the FDA, OpGen anticipates swift commercial launch in the U.S. in the following months.
- Legacy FISH products business including Quick FISH® and PNA FISH® to be discontinued by mid-2021 in Europe, the U.S. and rest of world with last production lots to be manufactured in early 2021.
- Acuitas AMR Gene Panel (urine) clinical trial to be discontinued as focus shifts to Unyvero platform for complicated UTI indication as well as additional future applications.
The company also announced accomplishment of the following key milestones in the third quarter of 2020 and year to date:
- OpGen’s subsidiary Curetis GmbH obtained CE mark certification in the European Union for its own SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
- OpGen announced that subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH won the Austrian national digitization award and was also nominated for the 40th Austrian Innovation Award for its artificial intelligence powered, next-generation sequencing based molecular antibiotic susceptibility test marketed under the brand name ARESupa – Universal Pathogenome Assay.
- OpGen’s subsidiary Curetis GmbH received EUR 350 thousand in grant funding in a collaboration project with InfectoGnostics campus at Jena University Hospital.
- OpGen’s subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH in collaboration with researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, announced the publishing of a peer-reviewed study on modifiable risk factors for the emergence of ceftolozane-tazobactam resistance in P. aeruginosa in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
- OpGen announced the release of a new peer-reviewed publication that demonstrates the clinical utility of the Unyvero LRT panel and its potential impact on antibiotic use in hospitalized patients with suspected pneumonia compared to treatment directed based on microbiological culture results.
- OpGen successfully completed its study collaboration with Karolinska Institutet on bacterial co-infections in COVID-19 pneumonia patients and data on the Unyvero HPN Panel was presented by the Karolinska investigators at ECCVID 2020.
- OpGen significantly improved its working capital position in the third quarter of 2020 through the sale of approximately 1.8 million shares of common stock under the company’s ATM program and the exercise of warrants from the October 2019 financing for gross proceeds of $4.4 million during the third quarter. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company sold approximately 11.4 million shares of common stock under the company’s ATM program and upon exercise of warrants from the October 2019 offering for gross proceeds of $24.4 million.
- The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) concluded its investigation of the OpGen business combination with Curetis with regards to its impact on the public order and security of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as national healthcare interests in the light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. No further action is expected from the Federal government on this matter.
Oliver Schacht, President & CEO of OpGen commented, “OpGen reported a solid third quarter given the persistent challenging environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to announcing the CE mark certification for our SARS-CoV-2 Kit, we also highlighted the publication of several peer-reviewed studies. We believe that following the portfolio consolidation and strategic product pipeline decisions taken by the board, OpGen along with its subsidiary companies Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH has a focused molecular diagnostics platform strategy and growing emphasis on bioinformatics offerings that will further generate shareholder value. I am truly excited about the future prospect of this company and I am convinced that our strategic initiatives will provide strong growth opportunities and secure our future as a global leader in infectious diseases and AMR diagnostics.”
The preliminary financial results are estimates prior to the completion of OpGen’s financial closing procedures and review procedures by its external auditors and therefore may be subject to adjustment when the actual results are available.
About OpGen, Inc.
OpGen, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD, USA) is a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease. Along with subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH, we are developing and commercializing molecular microbiology solutions helping to guide clinicians with more rapid and actionable information about life threatening infections to improve patient outcomes, and decrease the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, or MDROs. OpGen’s product portfolio includes Unyvero, Acuitas AMR Gene Panel and Acuitas® Lighthouse, and the ARES Technology Platform including ARESdb, using NGS technology and AI-powered bioinformatics solutions for antibiotic response prediction.
For more information, please visit www.opgen.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements regarding OpGen’s third quarter 2020 results, the company’s strategic portfolio and product pipeline priorities, the ongoing integration of OpGen with its acquired subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH, and the impact of COVID-19 on the company and general market conditions. These statements and other statements regarding OpGen’s 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, our ability to successfully, timely and cost-effectively develop, seek and obtain regulatory clearance for and commercialize our product and services offerings, the rate of adoption of our products and services by hospitals and other healthcare providers, the realization of expected benefits of our business combination transaction with Curetis GmbH, the success of our commercialization efforts, the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operations, financial results, and commercialization efforts as well as on capital markets and general economic conditions, 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. 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:
Oliver Schacht
President and CEO
[email protected]
OpGen Press Contact:
Matthew Bretzius
FischTank Marketing and PR
[email protected]
OpGen Investor Contact:
Megan Paul
Edison Group
[email protected]
Artificial Intelligence
XtalPi Unveils XtalGazer: A Comprehensive AI-Driven Polymorph Selection Platform
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — XtalPi Inc., a leading global technology company in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to advance the discovery of groundbreaking medicine and innovative materials, announced today the launch of its proprietary comprehensive solid form discovery and selection platform, XtalGazer. This advanced platform aims to significantly improve the polymorph selection process for the pharmaceutical industry by integrating AI- and automation-powered experimental and computational approaches.
XtalGazer provides a total solution for delivering high-quality polymorph screening and selection methods to expedite drug development and mitigate risks. It represents a paradigm shift in solid-state research, moving from the traditional trial-and-error approach to a data-driven, design-led methodology. The platform provides an expansive suite of foundational tools to accelerate polymorph discovery, characterization, and selection process, empowering pharmaceutical companies to conduct thorough research with less active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in shorter development cycles.
A key component of XtalGazer is XtalCSP, a crystal structure prediction platform to perform global searches of crystal structures for target molecules and the other optional components in the corresponding searching space, offering a deep insight into possible stable forms. Furthermore, crystallization strategy recommendations will provide AI-backed experimental design to help avoid human bias. XtalGazer also utilizes MicroED to rapidly elucidate crystal structures from powder samples, reducing the need for growing single crystals.
XtalPi’s launch of XtalGazer marks another significant step in the company’s ongoing exploration of solid-state research. From crystal structure prediction platforms being one of the first products to launch at XtalPi, to today’s comprehensive polymorph selection platform, XtalPi will keep fulfilling its promise to solving challenging problems in this space. XtalPi will continue to deliver faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive approaches to building an ecosystem for the R&D process in solid-state, pre-formulation and crystallization.
For more information about XtalPi, please visit www.xtalpi.com.
About XtalPi:
XtalPi is an innovative technology company powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Founded in 2015 on the MIT campus, XtalPi is dedicated to driving intelligent and digital transformation in the life science and new materials industries. With tightly interwoven quantum physics, AI, cloud computing, and large-scale clusters of robotic workstations, XtalPi offers a range of technology solutions, services, and products to accelerate and empower innovation for biopharmaceutical and new materials companies worldwide.
Media Contact: Vivienne [email protected]
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Artificial Intelligence
ICIS and Base Oil News Announce Partnership to Enhance Market Insights
LONDON, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ICIS, a global source of commodity intelligence, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Base Oil News, a premier news outlet founded by industry expert Iain Pocock that provides in-depth coverage of the base oils and lubricants market. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the dissemination and exchange of critical market data and insights.
With more than two decades of journalism experience at Bloomberg, Reuters, and Argus Media, Iain Pocock brings unparalleled expertise to this partnership. His deep understanding of illiquid energy markets makes him a credible and influential figure in the industry. Since November 2023, Iain has been working closely with ICIS to share and exchange valuable data and insights, enhancing the services both platforms offer to the base oils and lubricants market.
Through the collaboration, Iain integrates ICIS’ extensive content and data resources in Base Oil News market coverage. In return, he contributes market insights to ICIS News, including expert and exclusive analysis of supply and demand dynamics, price margins, and other critical market drivers. This exchange ensures that subscribers of both ICIS and Base Oil News have access to the most comprehensive, timely, and accurate market information, empowering them to make informed decisions.
“It’s a very exciting partnership – where we leverage each other’s strengths and provide actionable insights to our customers,” said Iain Pocock, Founder of Base Oil News. “The market is the winner.”
“As ICIS is already the world’s most trusted pricing benchmark for base oils, this collaboration with Iain Pocock and Base Oil News provides an even stronger and deeper service to our customers,” said Stephen Burns, Editorial Director at ICIS. “Iain’s expertise and extensive industry connections are invaluable, and we have established a fruitful partnership that benefits the market at large.”
For the latest insights from Iain Pocock on ICIS News, visit ICIS News.
About ICIS
ICIS – Independent Commodity Intelligence Services – helps businesses through seamlessly delivering data and analytics, across the chemical, fertilizer and energy markets. A trusted source and benchmark for price information and insight across key commodities markets worldwide. Our independent, transparent market intelligence informs thousands of quality decisions every day, taking the pressure out of negotiations and giving customers space for more innovative thinking, through published datasets including price assessments, price forecasts, supply and demand fundamentals and more.
Over 150 years of shaping the world by connecting markets to optimise the world’s valuable resources. With a global team of more than 600 experts, ICIS has employees based in London, New York, Houston, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Perth.
ICIS is part of RELX, a FTSE15 company with a market cap of £64bn and an employee base of over 30,000 experts across 40 countries.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. Total market capitalisation is approximately £64bn | €75bn | $81bn.
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Artificial Intelligence
Trianz Welcomes Israel Abraham as Vice President of Services for Extrica.ai – The Data to AI Platform
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Digital transformation technology & services company Trianz is pleased to announce the appointment of Israel Abraham as Vice President of Extrica Platform Services.
Trianz has embarked on a transformative journey, redefining its value proposition with an ‘IP Led’ model, with a commitment to deliver the fastest time to value, lowest human dependence, and highest ROI. Central to this approach are our hyper-automated platforms, Concierto.Cloud, Extrica.AI, and Pulse, driving industry-leading transformations in cloud, data and analytics, AI, and the digital workplace.
Israel Abraham is a very well-known pioneer and industry leader in AI, data management, and analytics systems, with over three decades of experience. He joins as the services leader for Extrica- the Trianz Data to AI platform, which productizes data, provides data a face and purpose, and accelerates time to insights and AI by 50% or more. In the role of Extrica Services leader, Israel will lead the shaping, visioning, and delivery of Extrica.ai based enterprise wide datamesh, BI, and AI solutions for customers worldwide.
“We are thrilled to welcome Israel Abraham to the Trianz family,” said Sri Manchala, CEO of Trianz and author of Crossing the Digital Faultline. “He is a leader in modernization as well as conceptualization of data platforms anew. Israel’s prior background in the industry with financial services and insurance giants underscores our commitment to securing top-tier talent that brings real-world experiences and needs to our technology platforms. As we continue to broaden our footprint in the digital transformation space, Israel’s visionary leadership and practical experience will serve as the cornerstone in accelerating insights and AI to deliver transformative value to our clients.”
Having played pivotal roles in highly reputed and large organizations such as Liberty Mutual Insurance, MassMutual, Safeco, and CNA Insurance, Israel has garnered recognition as a seasoned leader in big data and AI cloud implementations. His accolades include the prestigious 2014 Ventana Research IT Innovation Award, the 2009 Informatica MDM Innovation Award, and three filed Data Engineering patents in the last four years.
“Trianz has been at the forefront of digital innovation, and Extrica.ai is a paradigm shifting data to AI platform that completely changes how analytics and AI are delivered- much faster, taking business ahead of change. I am excited to scale the adoption of the Extrica platform, which has attracted attention from giants across the industry and hyperscalers,” said Israel Abraham. “I look forward to engaging with customers, bringing my own experiences, and collaborating with the talented team at Trianz to further enhance the capabilities of the Extrica Platform Services to transform data & AI strategies, execution, and outcomes for customers.”
About Trianz
Trianz is a leading-edge technology platforms and services company that accelerates digital transformations at Fortune 100 and emerging companies worldwide in data & analytics, digital experiences, cloud infrastructure, and security. Our ‘IP Led Transformations’ approach, informed by insights from a recent global study spanning 20+ industries and 5000+ companies, addresses challenges posed by the rapid pace of AI-driven transformation, digital talent scarcity, and economic uncertainty. Our IP and platforms, including Concierto, Extrica, and Pulse, revolutionize cloud adoption, data analytics, and AI insights, empowering organizations to navigate the complexities of digital transformation seamlessly.
Founded in California and with an organization of over 2,000 associates across the United States and India, Trianz is a Premier Partner of AWS, consistently rated #1 by clients for value delivery over the past five years. Trianz has been ranked as one of the best Consulting Firms by Forbes and has been certified as a Great Place to Work for three years in a row. To learn more about Trianz, email [email protected] or visit www.trianz.com.
Watch Trianz CEO Sri Manchala’s insightful interview with Bloomberg on Partner | Crossing The Digital Faultline & Leading Towards Transformative Success – YouTube and delve deeper into his book Crossing the Digital Faultline at Crossing the Digital Faultline | Trianz.
Trianz Media [email protected] +1-408-387-5800
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