April 22, 2022
PathoGene, Inc.'s first research participant is the late Dr. Hubert Sheldon Mickel, father of cofounders John and Joseph Mickel. Dr. Mickel was afflicted with an empyema, with fungal and bacterial pathogens contributing to the condition. At the Mayo Clinic in Wisconsin, Dr. Mickel's attending physician had him on vancomycin and antibiotics only, neglecting the candida albicans and other fungal pathogens found with PathoGene's testing apparatus. These microbes worked together (especially with the oral bacteria, Prevotella oris, which is notorious for forming biofilms) to form a protective biofilm, and without antifungals as part of the treatment regimen, Dr. Mickel did not have a chance.
In the case of life-or-death infections, every second counts
If Dr. Mickel had access to PathoGene's technology at the time he was admitted, his life could have been saved, as the right drugs would have been administered. In the case of life-or-death infections, every second counts, and knowing everything about the infection makes all the difference. Too much guesswork is involved in today's emergency care, and PathoGene aims to change that, by making molecular diagnosis the gold standard. Part of Dr. Mickel's great legacy will be in changing the barbaric status quo and ushering in a new era where no one ever has to die like him again. PathoGene is utterly committed to this vision of the future.