Survey finds hospitals moving toward antimicrobial stewardship programs;
Company’s Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel provides fast and affordable diagnostic tool in fight against antibiotic resistance
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 17, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Basin Scientific, Inc. (OTCQB:GBSN), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced findings from its 2016 Antimicrobial Stewardship Survey, which explored the issue of antibiotic resistance and the need for appropriate antibiotic use among healthcare organizations. The results, based on a survey of 1,090 hospitals and labs, found that 73 percent of respondents have instituted antimicrobial stewardship programs, which support organizational efforts toward proper antimicrobial use to reduce microbial resistance. Great Basin conducted the survey as part of its participation in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Get Smart About Antibiotics Week , taking place November 14-18, 2016.
The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, or superbugs, has created significant challenges for the healthcare industry. Per the CDC , two million people in the U.S. suffer infections due to superbugs each year, with 23,000 dying as a result. A contributing factor to the rise of superbugs is the decades-old practice of overprescribing broad spectrum drugs, which has led to evolving strains of bacteria no longer affected by commonly used antibiotics. The CDC has found that one-in-three antibiotic prescriptions – 47 million prescriptions per year – are unnecessary . Great Basin’s survey findings reflect the healthcare industry’s efforts to combat this issue through antimicrobial stewardship programs. Eighty-one percent of respondents to Great Basin’s survey said the benefits of their program have been noticeable, with four out of five respondents expecting cost savings and 90 percent anticipating improvements in patient care.
“For healthcare organizations all over the country, it’s become increasingly clear that supporting antimicrobial stewardship efforts isn’t only beneficial in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria, but has a positive impact in terms of improved patient care and lower costs,” said Ryan Ashton, co-founder and chief executive officer of Great Basin. “A vital tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance is fast and easy diagnostic testing. Great Basin’s Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel enables clinicians to test for infection-causing bacteria and delivers accurate detection in less than two hours with minimal hands-on steps, facilitating appropriate therapeutic decisions in an actionable timeframe. This can curb the overuse of antibiotics and lower costs for hospitals by reducing length of patient stay and expediting the discharge of patients who don’t need inpatient care.”
“Antibiotic resistant infections are nothing short of a grave health crisis. Physicians and scientists around the globe are fighting daily to preserve the progress in infectious disease treatment developed in decades prior and healthcare facilities are responding by implementing antibiotic stewardship programs at a quicker pace,” said Debbie Goff, PharmD, FCCP, infectious disease specialist at The Ohio State University Medical Center. “Our ability to effectively raise awareness around the need for more responsible use of antibiotics is an important first step, but to drive real progress we must come together as a healthcare community to implement change in the research and development of drugs, the rapid detection of disease and to deliver high quality and effective patient care.”
“Integrating a diagnostic tool, such as Staph ID/R, serves the mutual benefit of all parties across the care cycle – from hospitals to patients, and positions Great Basin as proactive partner in antimicrobial stewardship programs,” added Ashton. “To this end, we are proud to join with the CDC in drawing attention to a serious healthcare issue and actively working toward minimizing its future impact through innovation in diagnostics.”
Click here for more information on antimicrobial stewardship programs, including survey results and an infographic on Great Basin’s role in fighting antibiotic resistant bacteria.
About Great Basin Scientific
Great Basin Scientific is a molecular diagnostics company that commercializes breakthrough chip-based technologies. The Company is dedicated to the development of simple, yet powerful, sample-to-result technology and products that provide fast, multiple-pathogen diagnoses of infectious diseases. The Company’s vision is to make molecular diagnostic testing so simple and cost-effective that every patient will be tested for every serious infection, reducing misdiagnoses and significantly limiting the spread of infectious disease. More information can be found on the company’s website at www.gbscience.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s continuing business efforts related to its products, the Company continuing to act as proactive partner in antimicrobial stewardship programs, use of the Company’s Staph ID/R panel to curb overuse of antibiotics and other similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risk and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) our limited operating history and history of losses; (ii) our ability to develop and commercialize new products and the timing of commercialization; (iii) our ability to obtain capital when needed; and (iv) other risks set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on From 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and Great Basin Scientific specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Media Contact: Nirav Suchak, ICR 646.277.1257 nirav.suchak@icrinc.com Investor Relations Contact: Betsy Hartman, Great Basin Scientific 385.215.3372 ir@gbscience.com
