bioMérieux Receives Proclamations for Strike Out Sepsis Day to Help Save Lives Through Greater Awareness of this Deadly Syndrome

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, is educating the public and healthcare community about the deadly dangers of sepsis during September’s Global Sepsis Awareness Month. Sepsis, the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., can frequently be prevented if it is recognized quickly. Sadly, the syndrome is often not recognized until it is too late, which is why bioMérieux has pioneered numerous prognostic and diagnostic tests to rapidly aid physicians in the identification of the earliest possible signs of sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of an infection. One contributing factor to the increasing incidence of sepsis worldwide is the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are very difficult—if not impossible—to treat with currently available antibiotics. Sepsis is so deadly the first 24 hours can be decisive for a patient’s outcome. bioMérieux, a pioneer in rapid diagnostics, offers technology that assists physicians in the early of sepsis within the first 24 hours of onset.

bioMérieux received Mayoral proclamations for Strike Out Sepsis Day in St. Louis, MO August 31, 2015 and Durham, NC September 5, 2015. The proclamations will be presented during the St. Louis Cardinals and Durham Bulls ballgames, respectively, and will engage sepsis survivors in the ceremonies. For the St. Louis Cardinals game, hundreds of bioMérieux employees will gather to discuss and review bioMérieux’s leading products for the early detection of sepsis, rapid identification of the infection-causing sepsis, as well as antibiotic stewardship efforts to help reduce the overuse of antibiotics, which is a major cause of antibiotic resistance.

The guest of honor at the St. Louis Cardinals game is long-time Cardinals fan Patricia Scannell Cragen, who nearly lost her life to sepsis in 2013 stemming from an abscess tooth infection. Patricia is 81 years old and will be accompanied at the game by her large family spanning three generations. Throwing the first ceremonial pitch for Patricia will be her Goddaughter, Lauara Magee. Like Patricia, Lauara is a Redbird Nation member and Cardinals fanatic, who rarely misses a home game or an away game.

University of North Carolina all-star pitcher and sepsis survivor Rusty Wagstaff will accept the game ball at the Durham Bulls game. The 55-year-old Mr. Wagstaff nearly died of sepsis in late 2013 and suffered significant amputation to both his feet and hands.

In partnership with the Sepsis Alliance, bioMérieux will feature a “Faces of Sepsis” patient story each day on www.sepsisknowfromday1.com during the month of September. In addition to honoring those who have died from sepsis, sepsis survivors and their families, bioMérieux is launching a special program this year entitled “Sepsis Champions,” which will profile physicians and hospitals that have shown initiative in adopting sepsis diagnosis and management best practices and who have achieved significant reductions in sepsis-related morbidity and mortality. bioMérieux will tell their stories on www.sepsisknowfromday1.com, as well as work to bring attention to these proactive clinicians and hospitals in their own communities. bioMérieux is also launching the “Share Your Story” public awareness effort to give patients and their families the opportunity to tell their sepsis stories.

Additional efforts to increase the public’s awareness of the dangers of sepsis include:

• World Sepsis Day September 13, 2015
• Recognition of the Sepsis Alliance Heroes September 17, 2015
• bioMérieux-hosted webinars with Dr. Robert Balk of Rush University Medical Center and others
• Grand Rounds at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC with Internist Dr. Daniel Feinstein
• bioMerieux’s My Role Matters educational events in Seattle, WA September 2, 2015 and Ann Arbor, MI September 23, 2015
• A billboard campaign in Raleigh-Durham, bioMerieux’s U.S. headquarters, and St. Louis MO, a major R&D and manufacturing hub for bioMérieux in North America

To learn how to protect yourself and loved ones from sepsis, visit www.sepsisknowfromday1.com.

About bioMérieux

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 50 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 42 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2014, revenues reached €1.698 billion with 88% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cancer screening and monitoring and cardiovascular emergencies. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMérieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Symbol: BIM– ISIN: FR0010096479). Other information can be found at www.biomerieux-usa.com

Contacts

Media Relations

bioMérieux
Suzanne Jones
Tel: +1 919-479-3637
suzanne.jones@bioMérieux.com

Baker & Yorke
Tim Baker
Tel: + 1 216-338-8086
tbaker@baker-yorke.com

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