MicroPhage milestones

It's amazing how quickly time has passed at MicroPhage. Here is a brief history of our company.

2002 – The beginning
MicroPhage is incorporated by Jack Wheeler and Kent Voorhees with the purpose of commercializing a bacterial detection technology exclusively licensed from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

2003 – Early success
MicroPhage quickly demonstrates the reliability and ease-of-use of detecting bacteriophage amplification with alternative methods, including lateral flow immunochromatography (LFI), enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), optical immunoassays (OIA), and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

2004 – A new office
After raising its first capital from a group of angel investors, MicroPhage moves into a new 5,000-sq. ft. facility in Longmont, Colorado.

2005 – Refocusing efforts
MicroPhage narrows its focus to clinical applications, where fast, easy-to-use bacterial detection and antibiotic susceptibility results significantly and positively affect patient care. Feasibility established for Escherichia coli.

2006 – Targeting S. aureus
MicroPhage further narrows the development focus from three clinical targets to one – S. aureus – and determines the test of highest clinical value would directly identify this organism in blood cultures. To meet the goal of product introduction, MicroPhage establishes a quality assurance and clinical trial group.

2007 – Expanding portfolio
MicroPhage successfully demonstrates high performance in determining antibiotic susceptibility and resistance for S. aureus in blood culture and nasal swab models.

2008 – Clinical trials
A series of clinical studies on MicroPhage's two leading products for S. aureus take place in a number of premier clinical sites throughout the U.S. Full FDA-required clinical trials are slated to begin late in the year, pending design input from the FDA.

2009 – Clinical trials completed
MicroPhage achieves CE-Marking in preparation for European market introduction.

2010 – FDA submission of first product
In August 2010, the MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test was submitted to the FDA for 501(k) clearance. Early feasibility testing begins additional S. aureus tests. Company begins to ramp-up commercial organization.

2011 – FDA clearance and U.S. launch of first product
The KeyPath^™ MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test – BT received FDA clearance in May 2011. MicroPhage signed a North American marketing agreement with Cardinal Health in October 2011, with first U.S. sales beginning in late 2011.