ATB Finder Aims to Transform Antibiotic Selection by Replicating Real-World Infection Conditions

Conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) has long served as the foundation for antibiotic selection, but experts say standard laboratory methods often fail to reflect the conditions present at the actual site of infection. ATB Finder seeks to address this challenge by testing antibiotics at concentrations achievable in specific tissues and organs rather than relying solely on blood serum levels.

According to George Tetz, MD PhD, CEO and founder, Second Life Diagnostics, an entity of Second Life Group, this approach may help clinicians identify therapies that are more likely to succeed in individual patients, particularly those with difficult-to-treat infections. He sat down with Contagion at the recent MAD-ID/SIDP meeting to discuss the platform.

“We select antibiotics based on their response, mirroring what happens at the site of infection,” Tetz said. “Standard methods fail to select antibiotics that would work in this specific patient and this specific site of infection,” Tetz said.

The platform can also evaluate combinations of antibiotics, a capability that may be especially valuable for immunocompromised patients and others who have undergone multiple rounds of unsuccessful treatment. George noted that ATB Finder can test up to 180 antibiotics and antibiotic combinations per patient, delivering results within six to 20 hours.

Addressing Biofilms and Polymicrobial Infections

Another key distinction of the ATB Finder approach is its focus on the complex microbial communities that exist in many chronic and refractory infections. Traditional testing methods typically isolate and evaluate a single pathogen, while real-world infections often involve multiple bacterial species, fungi, and protective biofilms that can alter antibiotic effectiveness.

Tetz explained that these microbial communities can exhibit collective resistance mechanisms that standard testing may overlook. To better replicate clinical conditions, ATB Finder cultivates bacteria and fungi together from patient samples, allowing researchers to evaluate how the entire community responds to treatment.

“By ignoring collective antibiotic resistance, biofilm structure, the multi-species behavior, standard methods are not matching the clinical reality,” Tetz said. “We study the response of the polymicrobial biofilm from the site of infection against antibiotics or antibiotic combinations achievable at the site of infection.”

The company reports that the technology has demonstrated promising results in patients with complex infections who had previously failed multiple rounds of antibiotic therapy. By incorporating site-specific drug concentrations, biofilm behavior, and polymicrobial interactions, ATB Finder aims to provide clinicians with a more accurate assessment of which therapies are most likely to succeed for each individual patient.