T2 Biosystems (Lexington, Mass.) is set to revolutionize diagnosis of sepsis infections. Within hours of sample receipt, the company’s T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR) platform can identify the infection-causing pathogen, completely eliminating the need for blood cultures. Trimming time to results from days to hours has tremendous implications for patient care, antibiotic stewardship, and hospitals’ bottom line. The company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the T2Dx instrument and its first panel (T2Candida) in September 2014 and earlier this year secured its initial customer contracts for the products. The company is building a solid business case for the products with recently published studies showing not only great clinical performance in terms of the tests’ significant impact on patient survival, but also that quicker definitive diagnosis of sepsis- causing infections can yield millions of dollars in savings per hospital. DTET recently spoke to T2 Biosystems’ CEO John McDonough to learn more about the company’s plans and how rapid pathogen identification will evolve. What makes T2’s T2MR platform unique? T2MR is a novel and proprietary method of detection that uses a combination of magnetic resonance (four-inch diameter magnets) with advanced nanotechnology. We apply nanoparticles as part of our diagnostic reagents. […]