OpGen Provides Update on Curetis Group Company Ares Genetics Business
* Ares Genetics Launches AI-powered Molecular Antibiotic Susceptibility Test
(AST)
* Orders for more than 1,000 molecular AST tests offered under the brand
name ARESupa – Universal Pathogenome Assay
* Total contractual order volume received in 2019 for next-generation
sequencing tests as well as advanced bioinformatics, AI services and
certain rights amounts to over 2 million Euro
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq:
OPGN) reported an update on the business of Curetis GmbH, the other party to
the planned business combination with OpGen. On October 28, 2019, Curetis,
N.V. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH (“Ares
Genetics”) has launched an early access program for its novel, artificial
intelligence (AI) powered, next-generation sequencing (NGS) based molecular
antibiotic susceptibility test (AST).
Information on antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens is of utmost importance
for clinical practice, epidemiology and public health purposes as well as for
the development of pharmaceutical products in the infectious disease sector.
Ares Genetics therefore has developed a molecular AST that will be marketed
under the brand name ARESupa – Universal Pathogenome Assay. It is an expanded
version of the NGS-based ARESupa initially launched in August 2019 for the
identification of pathogens and resistance genes. The new version of the
ARESupa is now capable of also accurately predicting antibiotic susceptibility
via AI-powered interpretation of high-throughput DNA sequencing data.
Ares Genetics reports that it has received commercial orders for more than
1,000 ARESupa tests, an order volume exceeding EUR 500,000. Together with
advanced bioinformatics and AI services leveraging ARESdb for the diagnostics
and pharma industry, as well as access to certain rights, Ares Genetics has
contracted for and received orders amounting to more than 2 million Euro in
2019 to date.
OpGen CEO Evan Jones stated that “we believe this important update from
Curetis N.V. shows the value of the combination of our companies.”
OpGen and Curetis entered into a definitive agreement to combine businesses on
September 4, 2019. The closing of the transaction under such definitive
agreement has not yet occurred and is subject to a number of significant
closing conditions, including receipt of approval from the stockholders of
OpGen, Inc. and the shareholders of Curetis, N.V. Until the closing occurs,
each of OpGen and Curetis are operating as stand-alone businesses.
To read the full press release from Curetis, please click here.