Data presented at IDWeek 2025 alongside additional clinical and validation data, education session on the use of metagenomics in central nervous system infections

Delve Bio, a pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, today announced data presented at IDWeek 2025™ in Atlanta, Ga., by researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center show metagenomic sequencing that detects both RNA and DNA pathogens, available through Delve Detect, has the potential to streamline clinical workups and lower the cost of diagnosing meningitis and encephalitis (M/E).

“Due to its ability to detect a wide array of potential pathogens early in the course of disease, mNGS has emerged as an important tool in the armamentarium for the diagnosis of meningitis and encephalitis by reducing the need for multiple tests and procedures,” said Kiran Thakur, Herbert Irving associate professor of neurology, and director, program in neuroinfectious diseases, Department of Neurology at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital. “Our preliminary analysis of patients has identified that if mNGS had been used earlier in the clinical workup, patients with both infectious and autoimmune M/E could have been spared hundreds of tests and months of waiting for a complete diagnosis. Further studies are needed in the real world to identify implementation strategies for mNGS.”

The analysis used a modeling framework that included more than 80 patients to assess the potential impact of early use of mNGS testing on clinical decision-making. Researchers found that use of an mNGS test that detected both RNA and DNA pathogens within 48 hours after the first lumbar puncture could have saved over 280 microbiological tests. Among patients with viral infections, early use of mNGS could have reduced over 90 microbiological tests and over 150 days to diagnosis. Notably, in the cohort of seven patients with fungal infections, diagnosis would have been made earlier by over 61 days. The study will be presented in poster P-122, “Evaluating the Clinical Impact of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in CNS Infections: Optimizing Diagnostic Pathways and Resource Utilization,” on Monday, October 20.

“Study after study has shown the Delve Detect platform increases diagnostic yield by over 20 percent and enables clinicians to identify the cause of serious central nervous system infections early, quickly, and completely by identifying bacterial, viral, fungal and/or parasitic infections with a single sample in just 48 hours,” said Brad Murray, chief executive officer of Delve Bio. “This speed and comprehensiveness can eliminate protracted clinical workups and reduce the treatment and testing burden that challenges both patients and physicians. We’re pleased to be at IDWeek talking about how mNGS can continue to improve infectious disease diagnosis and patient care.”

Delve Bio’s presence at IDWeek 2025 includes additional scientific presentations and education sessions, including:

• Charles Chiu, M.D., Ph.D., Delve Bio co-founder, UCSF professor of laboratory medicine and infectious diseases, and director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, will host a Learning Lounge, “Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing for the Diagnosis of CNS Infections,” on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 1:15 p.m. in the exhibit hall.
• A team from Children’s Hospital of Colorado will present poster P-2004, “Performance of a Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Assay for Cerebrospinal Fluid Compared to Conventional Testing in Pediatric Patients,” highlighting the clinical utility of mNGS in conjunction with conventional microbiological testing for the diagnosis of suspected central nervous system (CNS) infections in children.
• Delve Bio researchers will present poster P-1784, “Analytical Validation of a Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) Test for Agnostic Detection of Microbial Organisms in CNS Infections,” showing a 86.1%/97.5% PPV/NPV that demonstrates Delve Detect as a sensitive and specific test of RNA and DNA pathogens from a single CSF sample.

Conference attendees are also invited to visit Delve Bio at booth #524 to learn more about the company’s metagenomic platform, including Delve Detect and its proprietary bioinformatics platform Delve Decide.

Delve Detect is Delve Bio’s flagship metagenomic testing service, providing comprehensive pathogen detection with a 48-hour turnaround time after sample receipt and including access to Delve’s Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease experts who review results in clinical context.

About IDWeek

IDWeek 2025™ is an annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP). With the theme “Advancing Science, Improving Care,” IDWeek features the latest science and bench-to-bedside approaches in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology of infectious diseases, including HIV, across the lifespan. IDWeek 2025™ takes place Oct. 19-22 at the Georgia World Congress Center (285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW) in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit www.idweek.org.

About Delve Bio, Inc.

Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company that empowers laboratories and clinicians with the insights they need to confidently diagnose routine and rare infectious diseases, thereby minimizing the impact of harmful pathogens on humanity. By leveraging its unbiased, pathogen-agnostic mNGS platform, Delve Bio is able to identify a wide range of pathogens with a single test. Founded by world leaders in genomics and infectious disease Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, the company is backed by top institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV, along with leading individual investors. For more information, visit www.delve.bio.

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“Our preliminary analysis of patients has identified that if mNGS had been used earlier in the clinical workup, patients with both infectious and autoimmune M/E could have been spared hundreds of tests and months of waiting for a complete diagnosis"