In this article by the BBC, the fear of a world without efficient antibiotics is becoming a reality in India where the level of antibiotic resistance is one of the highest in the world, particularly in newborns.

Please read below the press release issued today :

Weezion, a French MedTech start-up, announces capital investment from bioMérieux

Lyon, France – May 31^st, 2022. As part of a first round of funding, Weezion SAS, responsible for developing innovative solutions for in-vitro diagnosis of micro blood infections, resulting from the IdBIORIV Hospital-University research project, announced today that it has secured a 2-million-euro investment from bioMérieux.

Weezion was created in 2020 to develop and promote 5 years of research by several academic and scientific teams from the Institute of Infectious Agents at the Croix Rousse Hospital in Lyon, the Institute of Analytical Sciences, and the International Infectious Disease Research Centre of the Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University. The team, led by Jérôme Lemoine, Head of the Bioanalytical Laboratory at the Institute of Analytical Sciences, developed a rapid and economic solution for In-vitro Diagnosis (IVD) of bacteremia or fungemia responsible for sepsis, based on patented mass spectrometry technology.

“The Weezion dx solution identifies microorganisms causing sepsis and predicts their susceptibility and resistance to antibiotics in 90 minutes, reducing the current diagnostic time by several hours and therefore allowing appropriate anti-infective treatment to be adapted or administered quickly. In the context of sepsis, each hour gained in implementing effective treatment improves the survival rate of patients” explains François Vandenesch, Head of the Bacteriology Department at the Institute of Infectious Agents at the Croix Rousse Hospital in Lyon, and Deputy Director of the International Infectious Disease Research Centre.

Thanks to the speed and accuracy of its diagnosis, this innovative solution also directly contributes to the fight against antibiotic resistance by reducing the impact of the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. For decades, the fight against antibiotic resistance has been a priority for bioMérieux. Nearly 80% of the Company’s Research & Development budget is devoted to the fight against this silent pandemic. The investment in Weezion illustrates bioMérieux’s commitment to innovation in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Weezion is proud of this significant step, which is an example of successful collaboration between public institutions, start-ups, and large private companies. This project was actively supported by Lyon Ingénierie Projet, supported by BPI Bourgogne and the law firm Berrucaz & Associés; a project with regional roots since the Hospices Civils de Lyon and the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 are already among its shareholders; and now internationally renowned thanks to the support of bioMérieux, a company present in 44 countries. This investment, a 4.26% share, is accompanied by technical assistance from bioMérieux. “By working with a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, we are strengthening our ability to accelerate our time to market for the Weezion dx solution. The next major steps for our start-up are the complete automation of the industrial process, followed by a clinical pre-validation before launching industrialization in France by 2024,” says Hervé Brochette, Founder and CEO of Weezion SAS.