The choice of antibiotic(s) to treat a particular chronic bacterial infection is determined in the laboratory by a test which assesses the susceptibility of the particular bacteria to a panel of different antibiotics. 

In understanding how bacteria respond to antibiotics, it is important to know that bacteria essentially exist in two different states – planktonic or as a biofilm.  Planktonic bacteria are free-floating and generally grow in the familiar test tube and flask cultures in the microbiology laboratory.  They are not generally found in nature or in infections.  Biofilms on the other hand, are organized communities of bacteria that adhere to a surface, surrounded by a protective layer. Biofilms are 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than the same organism in a free-floating state.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that 80% of human infections are caused by microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) in a biofilm state.  And yet, most of the knowledge regarding the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics has been based on experiments with free-floating bacteria.

Until now, the MIC test (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Test) has been the standard laboratory test used to determination which antibiotic(s) to use in treating a bacterial infection.  This test, however, was designed with the free-floating organism in mind, and therefore does not reflect the antibiotic susceptibility of the bacteria as they are found within the body.  As such, making an antibiotic choice based on these kinds of results can potentially lead to a trial and error process in choosing the most effective antibiotic, which in turn means that the infection may take longer to improve and the chances of antibiotic resistance are increased.

In contrast, Innovotech has developed tests that allow the majority of bacteria responsible for chronic infections to be grown as a biofilm in the laboratory prior to testing with antibiotics, more closely mimicing the conditions of a biofilm infection in the human body.  Innovotech’s test provides both MIC and biofilm results within the same test for comparison.   As a result of Innovotech’s test, physicians will have more information to choose “The right antibiotic – right from the start.”