LEXINGTON, Mass., April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- T2 Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTOO), a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, announced today the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), comprising leading clinicians and researchers in the areas of infectious disease, laboratory medicine, and pharmacy. The newly formed SAB will provide insights regarding T2 Biosystems’ clinical utilization, product pipeline, preclinical development, clinical research, clinical data generation, and strategic guidance to advance the Company’s mission.
"We are honored to collaborate with a prestigious group of scientific thought leaders and industry experts who share our mission to fundamentally change the way medicine is practiced through transformative culture-independent diagnostics,” stated John Sperzel, Chairman and CEO of T2 Biosystems. “We look forward to their scientific, clinical and strategic insights as we seek to advance our technology platform and improve the standard of care for patients at risk of sepsis.”
The SAB is chaired by Aparna Ahuja, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of T2 Biosystems, the inaugural meeting was held during the first quarter of 2022, and the inaugural members include:
Sean X. Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., D(ABMM)
Dr. Zhang is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Medical Director of Medical Mycology Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Zhang's research focuses on developing rapid and nonculture-based tools for fungal diagnostics. These include identifying fungal pathogens from FFPE tissue blocks, fungal antigen assays, host-driven response assays, multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing to rapidly identify fungal pathogens directly from clinical samples. He is also interested in studying identification and characterization of new emerging fungal pathogens, the role of fungal pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients, and antifungal drug resistance. Dr. Zhang is an Executive Editor of Medical Mycology and an Editorial Board Member of the Clinical Microbiology Reviews. He is a Section Editor (Mycology) for the Manual of Clinical Microbiology (13th Edition). He serves as an advisor to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Antifungal Susceptibility Testing subcommittee and a member of the College of American Pathologist (CAP) Microbiology Committee. He is also a co-chair of recently created Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC) in the USA/Canada. Dr. Zhang holds an M.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China and a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Turku in Finland. He completed a clinical fellowship in Medical Microbiology at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Thomas J. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. (hon), FIDSA, FAAM, FECMM
Dr. Thomas J. Walsh serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Innovative Therapeutics and Diagnostics (IITD), Henry Schueler Foundation Scholar, Investigator of Emerging Infectious Diseases of the Save Our Sick Kids Foundation, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Walsh spent 12 years as Founding Director of the Weill Cornell Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program, and 23 years at National Cancer Institute. As the author of more than 1,100 publications and investigator for more than 100 clinical studies, he and his program laid the scientific foundation for major advances and standards of care in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of invasive mycoses in immunocompromised pediatric and adult patients with cancer and stem cell transplantation. In response to the global public health crisis of multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, he and his staff during the past two decades also expanded their clinical research and laboratory investigations to develop new antimicrobial therapeutic agents and diagnostic systems in novel model systems leading to clinical trials against these life-threatening diseases. Dr. Walsh and his colleagues are further studying the T2-Biosystem and cell free metagenomics to identify invasive fungal and bacterial infections earlier in the course of infection to allow for early targeted antimicrobial therapy. His professional memberships include Councilor of the International Immunocompromised Host Society (ICHS), Co-Chair of the ICHS Medical Mycology Training Initiative, President-elect of the Medical Mycology Society of the Americas, Risk Group I Chair of the Bacteriology and Mycology Study Group, and Chair of the NCI Animal Care and Use Committee. Dr. Walsh holds a M.D. from The John Hopkins University School of Medicine and is board certified in Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Medical Oncology. He was the first recipient of the Janssen Medical Mycology Fellowship from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Denise L. Uettwiller-Geiger, Ph.D., DLM (ASCP),
Dr. Uettwiller-Geiger is a Clinical Chemist and Clinical Transformation Liaison for Mather Hospital Northwell Health, Port Jefferson, New York. Dr. Uettwiller-Geiger serves as a clinical liaison to clinicians providing expert education, guidance, and consultation for laboratory testing. She is the author of more than 100 clinical journal articles, has been the recipient of numerous awards and is an experienced speaker, who has participated in many presentations, webcasts, workshops, and press conferences. In recognition of her significant contributions to Laboratory Medicine, she was selected as one of six finalists for the Cardinal Health urEssential Laboratorian of the Year award in May of 2018 and in 2021 Mather’s Choosing Wisely Committee was recognized for their initiatives by the American Society of Clinical Pathology and received their Choosing Wisely Champion award. Dr. Uettwiller-Geiger received her Master of Health Science from Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York and an Advanced Certificate in Health Care Management, from the W. Averell Harriman School for Policy and Management, from Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, and a Ph.D. in biomedical science from Pacific Western University, Brentwood, California.
James W. Snyder, Ph.D., DABMM, FAAM,
Dr. Snyder is the Director of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Louisville Hospital. He holds the academic rank of Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine. His memberships in professional societies include the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Pan American Society for Clinical Virology, Infectious Disease Society of American (IDSA), and the South Central Association for Clinical Microbiology (SCACM). Dr. Snyder’s specialties include medical mycology, bioterrorism, and molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases. In addition, he maintains an active research program focusing on clinical trials and technology/product assessment in addition to teaching pathology residents, infectious disease fellows, and medical students. Dr. Snyder earned a Ph.D. in Biology (Medical Microbiology from the University of Dayton.
Michael J. Rybak, Pharm.D., M.P.H., PH.D., FCCP, FIDSA, FIDP,
Dr. Rybak is Professor of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Director, Anti-Infective Research Laboratory, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Wayne State University. He is also adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine at Wayne State University and Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. His research focus is antimicrobial pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) and the assessment of infectious diseases health outcomes including their relationship to bacterial resistance. His most recent work is focused on the laboratory and clinical outcomes assessment of combination antibiotic therapy including bacterial phages for methicillin and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, enterococcus and multi-drug resistant gram-negative pathogens. Dr. Rybak is a member of the antimicrobial stewardship committee at Detroit Medical Center, and he is funded by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and via several investigator initiated grants from Pharmaceutical Industry. Dr. Rybak earned a BS in Pharmacy from Northeastern University, a Pharm.D. and a M.P.H. from Wayne State University, and a Ph.D. in Public Health and Epidemiology from Walden University.
George Pankey, M.D.,
Dr. Pankey is Director, Infectious Disease Research at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tulane. Dr. Pankey is an internationally recognized and honored expert in the field of infectious diseases, and his research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of antimicrobial resistant bacterial and fungal infections. He is a Master and Laureate award recipient of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow and Clinician of the Year award recipient of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr. Pankey earned his BS and MD from Tulane University and completed his internal medicine training at the University of Minnesota where he also earned a MS in medicine, microbiology, and immunology.
M. Hong Nguyen, M.D.,
Dr. Nguyen is Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Center for Healthcare Mycology at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Director of the Transplant Infectious Diseases (TID) and Antimicrobial Management Programs (AMP) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Her longstanding research interests are in epidemiology of invasive fungal infections; antifungal drug resistance and pharmacokinetics; and non-culture diagnostics. Over the past ten years, she has expanded her research into multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. Dr. Nguyen has authored over 240 papers in the peer-reviewed literature on wide-ranging clinical, translational and basic research topics in infectious diseases. Her lab has active research projects investigating molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and antifungal resistance among Candida spp., evolution of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains recovered from patients receiving antimicrobial treatment, and antimicrobial pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics. In 2021, she was among the 0.1% of world's scientists recognized by Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher, based on number of papers that rank in the top 1% of Web of Science citations by discipline. Dr. Nguyen earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Physics from Elizabeth College and holds an M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine.
Randall T. Hayden, M.D.,
Dr. Hayden is Director of the Division of Clinical Pathology and Global Pathology and Director of Clinical and Molecular Microbiology in the Department of Pathology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His research interests focus on the application of molecular methods to diagnostic challenges in clinical microbiology, with particular emphasis on the diagnosis of infections in the immunocompromised host. He is editor-in-chief of Diagnostic Microbiology of the Immunocompromised Host, 2nd Edition; co-editor of Molecular Microbiology, Diagnostic Principles and Practice, 3rd Edition and of Medically Important Fungi, 6th Edition; and section editor for the Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 12th Edition, all from ASM Press. He serves as associate editor for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and is past-president of the Pan-American Society for Clinical Virology (PASCV). Dr. Hayden holds a M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
About T2 Biosystems
T2 Biosystems, a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, 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, which are powered by the Company’s proprietary T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR®) technology, include the T2Dx® Instrument, the T2Candida® Panel, the T2Bacteria® Panel, the T2Resistance® Panel, and the T2SARS-CoV-2™ Panel. T2 Biosystems has an active pipeline of future products, including the T2Biothreat Panel, the T2Cauris™ Panel, the T2Lyme™ Panel, as well as additional products for the detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens and associated antimicrobial resistance markers, and biothreat pathogens.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our revenue results and cash balance, financial outlook, timing of filing of an FDA submission, anticipated strategic priorities, product demand, commitments or opportunities, and growth expectations or targets, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan”, “believe”, “project”, “forecast”, “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” and similar statements of a future or forward looking nature. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, (i) any inability to (a) realize anticipated benefits from commitments, contracts or products; (b) successfully execute strategic priorities; (c) bring products to market; (d) expand product usage or adoption; (e) obtain customer testimonials; (f) accurately predict growth assumptions; (g) realize anticipated revenues; (h) incur expected levels of operating expenses; or (i) increase the number of high-risk patients at customer facilities; (ii) failure of early data to predict eventual outcomes; (iii) failure to make or obtain anticipated FDA filings or clearances within expected time frames or at all; or (iv) the factors discussed under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 23, 2022, and other filings the company makes with the SEC from time to time. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While the company may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, unless required by law, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change. Thus, no one should assume that the Company’s silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Media Contact:
Meagan Dominick, Vault Communications
mdominick@vaultcommunications.com
773-369-4255
Investor Contact:
Philip Trip Taylor, Gilmartin Group
ir@T2Biosystems.com
415-937-5406
Source: T2 Biosystems, Inc.
