BioMerieux : BioMérieux launches EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2, a cloud-based software application for the epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants

bioMérieux launches EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2,

a cloud-based software application for the epidemiological

surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Marcy l'Étoile, France - June 24th, 2021 - bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, has launched EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2, a genomic software solution to support microbiology labs in identification and reporting from raw sequencing data related to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Viral mutation is a naturally occurring phenomenon leading to the emergence of variants that can have different characteristics. Today, a number of SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating worldwide. Some of these variants are under particular scrutiny because of their impact on the pandemic (increased infectiousness or severity of infection, possible vaccine escape). Genomic surveillance of mutant circulation is therefore essential for public health.

Launched worldwide, EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2 is a new application, intended to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants using samples from positive patients. Automatically updated each week, the platform identifies variants based on international nomenclatures* including any new variant of concern (VOC) as defined by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2 is compatible with three major sequencing platforms (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, Thermo Fisher) and easy to use by any microbiology lab without bioinformatics knowledge or computing resources.

The application permits the export of viral genome assemblies and mutations in order to facilitate reporting to national public health authorities and for epidemiology studies.

"Microbiologists today deal with extensive data sets and need to translate these into meaningful information that impacts clinical decisions and public health actions. EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2 responds entirely to that challenge. It enables the in-depth analysis of complex viral genetic sequencing data without any need for specific bioinformatics competencies or major hardware investments." noted Mark Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer.

Drawing on its expertise in microbiology and informatics, bioMérieux has developed BIOMÉRIEUX EPISEQ®, a genomic cloud-based computing platform that supports laboratories in the utilization of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and interpretation of its outcome. Multiple NGS- and cloud-based software modules are being developed on this platform.

"bioMérieux's strategy is to leverage the tremendous potential of diagnostics data to support the fight against infectious diseases. Hence, we decided earlier this year to draw on our broad and deep expertise in the fields of data science, software development and bioinformatics in order to develop an easy-to-use application to serve our customers using next generation sequencing to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants." said Pierre Boulud, Chief Operating Officer, Clinical Operations.

* PANGO and NextStrain

ABOUT BIOMÉRIEUX EPISEQ®

Launched in 2019, BIOMÉRIEUX EPISEQ® is a sequencing- and cloud-based computing platform offering NGS data analysis applications to clinical microbiologists. It was designed for analyzing sequencing data in order to help infectious diseases specialists and public health experts in the management of suspected or confirmed epidemics.

EPISEQ® SARS-COV-2 is the third application now hosted on the BIOMÉRIEUX EPISEQ® platform. The first application, EPISEQ® CS, uses the highly discriminative power of NGS to help track and control bacterial Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI). The second application, EPISEQ® 16S, supports clinicians in researching the significance of microbiomes and their links to human health and disease. Find out more

ABOUT BIOMÉRIEUX

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 55 years, bioMérieux is present in 44 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2020, revenues reached €3.1 billion, with over 90% of international sales.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMérieux is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market. Symbol: BIM - ISIN Code: FR0013280286

Reuters: BIOX.PA/Bloomberg: BIM.FP Corporate website: www.biomerieux.com.

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