• Ares Genetics Launches AI-powered Molecular Antibiotic Susceptibility Test (AST)
• Orders for more than 1,000 molecular AST tests offered under the brand name ARESupa – Universal Pathogenome Assay
• Total contractual order volume received in 2019 for next-generation sequencing tests as well as advanced bioinformatics, AI services and certain rights amounts to over 2 million Euro

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN) reported an update on the business of Curetis GmbH, the other party to the planned business combination with OpGen. On October 28, 2019, Curetis, N.V. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH (“Ares Genetics”) has launched an early access program for its novel, artificial intelligence (AI) powered, next-generation sequencing (NGS) based molecular antibiotic susceptibility test (AST).

Information on antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens is of utmost importance for clinical practice, epidemiology and public health purposes as well as for the development of pharmaceutical products in the infectious disease sector. Ares Genetics therefore has developed a molecular AST that will be marketed under the brand name ARESupa – Universal Pathogenome Assay. It is an expanded version of the NGS-based ARESupa initially launched in August 2019 for the identification of pathogens and resistance genes. The new version of the ARESupa is now capable of also accurately predicting antibiotic susceptibility via AI-powered interpretation of high-throughput DNA sequencing data.

Ares Genetics reports that it has received commercial orders for more than 1,000 ARESupa tests, an order volume exceeding EUR 500,000. Together with advanced bioinformatics and AI services leveraging ARESdb for the diagnostics and pharma industry, as well as access to certain rights, Ares Genetics has contracted for and received orders amounting to more than 2 million Euro in 2019 to date.

OpGen CEO Evan Jones stated that “we believe this important update from Curetis N.V. shows the value of the combination of our companies.”

OpGen and Curetisentered into a definitive agreement to combine businesses on September 4, 2019. The closing of the transaction under such definitive agreement has not yet occurred and is subject to a number of significant closing conditions, including receipt of approval from the stockholders of OpGen, Inc. and the shareholders of Curetis, N.V. Until the closing occurs, each of OpGen and Curetis are operating as stand-alone businesses.

To read the full press release from Curetis, please click here.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release relates to the announcement by Curetis N.V. that its wholly-owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH has launched an early access program for its novel, AI-powered NGS molecular antibiotic susceptibility test. This press release is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the transactions contemplated by the Implementation Agreement (the definitive agreement related to the proposed business combination between the Company and Curetis GmbH), a Registration Statement on Form S-4 will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Investors and security holders are encouraged to read the registration statement and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, including the proxy statement/prospectus that will be part of the registration statement, when they become available, because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. The final proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of the Company. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, or from the Company at its website, www.opgen.com.

About OpGen

OpGen, Inc. is a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and informatics to help combat infectious disease. We are developing molecular information products and services for global healthcare settings, helping to guide clinicians with more rapid and actionable information about life threatening infections, improve patient outcomes, and decrease the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, or MDROs.

Our molecular diagnostics and informatics products, product candidates and services combine our Acuitas molecular diagnostics and Acuitas Lighthouse informatics platform for use with our proprietary, curated MDRO knowledgebase. We are working to deliver our products and services, some in development, to a global network of customers and partners. The Acuitas AMR Gene Panel (RUO) is intended for Research Use Only and is not for use in diagnostic procedures. The Acuitas Lighthouse Software is not distributed commercially for antibiotic resistance prediction and is not for use in diagnostic procedures. For more information, please visit www.opgen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release describes a commercial update announced by Curetis N.V., a party to a business combination agreement with OpGen that has not yet closed. These statements constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control, and which may cause the future to differ materially from expectations. We cannot assure you that the proposed business combination transaction with Curetis N.V., which is subject to significant conditions to close, will occur. For a discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with OpGen's business, please review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

OpGen Contact:
Michael Farmer
Vice President, Marketing
(240) 813-1284
mfarmer@opgen.com
InvestorRelations@opgen.com

Press Contact:
Matthew Bretzius
FischTank Marketing and PR
matt@fischtankpr.com

Investor Contacts:
Joe Green
Edison Group 
jgreen@edisongroup.com 

Source: OpGen, Inc.