T2 Biosystems CEO Shares Personal Heart Transplant and Sepsis Survival Story in Newly Released Book
March 30 2021 - 8:00AM
T2 Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTOO), a leader in the rapid
detection of sepsis-causing pathogens, today announced that CEO
John Sperzel released a book about his personal experience with a
bloodstream infection (BSI) and sepsis, titled “Courage: Powerful
Lessons in Leadership, Strength, and the Will to Succeed.”
“Courage,” part captivating memoir, part inspiring call to
action, details Sperzel’s gripping story from a diagnosis of giant
cell myocarditis – a rare and fatal condition diagnosed less than
300 times in medical history – through numerous surgeries and being
placed on life support, to a heart transplant, and ultimately a BSI
which caused sepsis – a condition that is much more common.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports
that at least 1.7 million people in the United States develop
sepsis, and nearly 270,000 Americans die each year as a result of
sepsis. The annual cost of sepsis care for patients in hospitals
and skilled nursing facilities is more than $62 billion according
to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, making sepsis
the number one cost of hospitalization. According to a study in The
Lancet, nearly 11 million people died from sepsis globally in 2017
alone, representing nearly 20 percent of all global deaths.
As a result of his BSI and sepsis, Sperzel’s treatment included
numerous antibiotics as well as a hospital readmission to
ultimately address the hospital-acquired infection. Sperzel spent
nearly two months in the hospital intensive care unit, followed by
a month in a rehabilitation facility to learn to walk again.
“My hope is that sharing my personal experience will help to
raise awareness about sepsis and shed light on why we must change
the standard of care for patients at risk of sepsis. Current
treatment protocols rely on blood culture, which can take days, and
the use of broad spectrum antibiotics, which studies show is only
optimal in 30-60 percent of cases,” said Sperzel. “The use of
culture-independent rapid diagnostic tests to detect sepsis-causing
pathogens is essential, as each hour of delayed targeted treatment
can increase mortality by up to 8 percent.”
T2 Biosystems is the company behind the T2Bacteria® Panel and
T2Candida® Panel, the only FDA-cleared assays for the detection of
sepsis-causing bacterial and fungal pathogens directly from whole
blood in three to five hours, without the need to wait days for
blood culture results. By providing rapid results, T2 Biosystems’
sepsis panels enable clinicians to initiate targeted therapy
faster, often before the second dose of antimicrobial is
administered, leading to better patient outcomes, improved
antimicrobial stewardship, and reductions in length of stay in the
hospital.“I am so grateful to my heart donor, and to those who
worked hard to save my life before and after my heart transplant,”
said Sperzel. “I believe more people need access to T2 Biosystems’
technology because it can be a game-changer in the treatment of
patients at risk of sepsis.”About T2
BiosystemsT2 Biosystems, a leader in the rapid detection
of sepsis-causing pathogens, 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
include the T2Dx® Instrument, T2Candida® Panel, the T2Bacteria®
Panel, the T2Resistance™ Panel, and the T2SARS-CoV-2™ Panel
and are powered by the proprietary T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR®)
technology. T2 Biosystems has an active pipeline of future
products, including the T2Cauris™ Panel, and
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 StatementsThis 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 the ability of
the T2Bacteria Panel and T2Candida Panel to improve patient
outcomes, antimicrobial stewardship and reductions in length of
stay, 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, 2019, filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March
16, 2020, 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:Amanda Michelson, Vault
Communicationsamichelson@vaultcommunications.com609-417-7077
Investor Contact:Philip Trip Taylor, Gilmartin
Groupphilip@gilmartinIR.com415-937-5406
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