What role does bioMérieux play in the larger picture of the life sciences industry?
bioMérieux has 60 years of experience in in vitro diagnostics; our goal is to improve public health by assisting healthcare professionals in quickly and reliably determining the source of infections and contamination, which is especially important given the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. 70% of all medical decisions are made using diagnostics and yet, it accounts for around 2% of the total healthcare spend. This is a gap we are working to fill, by providing the appropriate platforms and tests that enable clinicians to gather valuable information about their patients and develop reliable diagnostics.
What is the most notable innovation you have brought to market in order to make a difference?
Our patient centric mindset prompted us to find better ways to test and analyze results, especially during the last few years that were marked by the global pandemic. We came to the conclusion that between a high-quality molecular test that can be performed only in hospitals and a relatively cheap but often inaccurate drug store test, there are no viable options to get a fast and accurate result. For this reason, we developed SPOTFIRE, a fast and reliable system that employs gold standard PCR testing technology, which has been approved by the FDA.
We believe this system will be a real game changer in healthcare as it will bring syndromic testing technology closer than ever to the patient. It is intended to test for the most common upper respiratory tract infections (Flu A, Flu B, RSV, COVID-19, Rhinovirus) and patient will get a result in only about 15 minutes. Knowing precisely that a patient is suffering from a viral infection is also a way to avoid unnecessary prescription of antibiotics. Everyone now understands that prescribing antibiotics to treat a virus is not only ineffective but also dangerously fuels the emergence of resistant bacteria. This system has been approved by the FDA for CLIA Waiver, which is a simplified type of test that can be used by any healthcare provider in a simple and straightforward manner.
In what ways did you see the pandemic influencing the industry, particularly in terms of diagnostics?
The pandemic brought diagnostics to the forefront, as PCR testing and nasopharyngeal samples are no longer terms reserved just for the lab community. The pandemic also made both the general public and policy makers aware of the crucial role that diagnostics plays in containing a health threat. Furthermore, patients began to understand the significance of adhering to a protocol during times of high infection rates - hand washing, masking in crowded places, and using vaccination and testing have all become second nature to many of us.
The life sciences industry is known for being somewhat conservative; what role do modern technologies play in your diagnostics processes?
Many studies have shown that AI can be more specific than a radiologist's interpretation (e.g., in lung cancer results), but we are still concerned that it may miss some details. As a result, new technologies are still not widely used in the industry. However, bioMérieux sees them as sound instruments and is eager to put all of the latest and greatest innovations in this space to use. With automation and digitalization of diagnostic solutions, clinical microbiology laboratories need to handle more and more medical data along the healthcare pathway.
bioMérieux provides solutions to help manage the growing needs for workflow optimization, biological expertise and data management.
What are some of the most important goals you hope to achieve in the next five years?
First, we will remain focused on combatting antimicrobial resistance, considered a silent pandemic. Over the next two years, our goal is to increase the number of results supporting antimicrobial stewardship by 30%. To support this goal, we are launching SPOTFIRE to ensure that the clinical community recognizes its value as a tool for bringing innovation to infectious disease testing. We are interested in continuing discussions about the VALID Act because it addresses the FDA approval pathway during the diagnostics phase. Additionally, we are also working to protect the valuable innovation that keeps coming to market and improve the pricing structure of clinical laboratory products. Overall, we have a lot of work to do, but we are confident that our efforts will continue to shine a light on the power of diagnostics.
