GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OpGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPGN) today announced that it has provided the final report for completion of the contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop smartphone-based clinical decision support solutions for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection control in low- and middle-income countries. The one-year $860,000 award began September 30, 2017 and funded development and evaluation of cloud-based mobile software. OpGen worked with partners ILÚM Health Solutions, LLC (“ILÚM”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck’s Healthcare Services and Solutions, and Universidad El Bosque (UEB) of Bogota, Colombia led by Maria Virginia Villegas, M.D., M.Sc.
“OpGen was honored to work with the CDC and our partners to help address this urgent global need,” said Evan Jones, Chairman & CEO of OpGen. “Improving antimicrobial stewardship globally has been identified by the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments worldwide as a core activity in the fight to prevent and contain the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens.”
OpGen chose to partner with ILÚM based on its advanced clinical decision support capabilities that enhance OpGen’s commitment to improve antimicrobial stewardship and optimize infectious disease management. “OpGen is leveraging ILÚM’s Insight, a cloud- and mobile-based solution that integrates electronic patient data and local empiric treatment guidelines”, noted Mr. Jones. “Our ecosystem results in enhanced selection of both empiric and definitive therapy, which includes an unparalleled arrival to definitive choice. While our collaborative approach to solving these public health challenges is repeatable in other economically-challenged countries, our ability to optimize US precision antibiotic therapy is equally compelling.”
“Dr. Villegas and the UEB team guided the customization of the AMS software for the needs of low- and middle-income countries. They also worked with OpGen and ILÚM to deploy the software in three medical sites in Colombia to assess the effectiveness of the effort. Through this initial pilot, we gained experience and positive results to support the expansion of this important initiative further,” continued Mr. Jones. “The three sites from the project intend to continue using the Insight solution and we are in discussions with ILÚM to establish a distribution relationship for Colombia and the region.”
About OpGen
OpGen, Inc. is harnessing the power of informatics and genomic analysis to provide complete solutions for patient, hospital and network-wide infection prevention and treatment.
About ILÚM
ILÚM Health Solutions is a provider of technology and services to support infectious disease management, clinical decision-support and precision antibiotic therapy. ILÚM is part of Healthcare Services & Solutions, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Its Insight solution and other portfolio products are commercially available and in use in major health systems. For more information, visit www.ILÚMhealthsolutions.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements relating to OpGen’s expectations regarding the use of the Insight products in the future in other economically-challenged countries. These statements and other statements regarding OpGen’s future plans 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 OpGen’s control, and which may cause results to differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described include, but are not limited to, OpGen’s ability to successfully implement the awarded contract. For a discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with OpGen’s business, please review its 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 OpGen’s expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release. OpGen undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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or
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