Specific Diagnostics

About Specific Diagnostics

Specific Diagnostics, now a part of the global in vitro diagnostics leader bioMérieux following a 2022 acquisition, addresses the critical challenge of sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by bloodstream infections. The company was founded in 2011 with the mission to accelerate the time it takes to determine effective antibiotic treatments. The founders, including Dr. Paul A. Rhodes who serves as CEO, leveraged their extensive experience in life sciences and diagnostics to develop a novel solution. Dr. Rhodes previously co-founded and led companies like ViroLogic and Tethys, demonstrating a track record in bringing diagnostic technologies to market.

The core of Specific Diagnostics' offering is the Reveal™ rapid AST (antibiotic susceptibility testing) system. This system is designed to drastically reduce the time required to identify the correct antibiotic for a patient from the standard of two to three days to just a matter of hours. It works directly from positive blood cultures, providing actionable results in an average of 5.5 hours. The technology utilizes a unique, patented small molecule sensor (SMS) array that detects the metabolic byproducts of bacteria as they grow in the presence of various antibiotics. By monitoring these metabolic signatures, the Reveal™ system can quickly determine which antibiotics are effective at inhibiting bacterial growth. This rapid turnaround is crucial, as sepsis mortality rates increase significantly for every hour that effective treatment is delayed.

The business model centers on the sale of the Reveal™ instrument and the accompanying assay kits to clinical microbiology laboratories within hospitals and healthcare systems. By providing a faster, more streamlined workflow, the system not only improves patient outcomes by enabling targeted therapy sooner but also offers economic benefits by reducing laboratory labor costs and potentially shortening hospital stays. The Reveal system has received FDA clearance and is CE-marked, allowing for its commercialization in the United States and Europe, serving a market in urgent need of faster diagnostic solutions to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.