Kim Smith, sepsis survivor and quadruple amputee in Milton Keynes, UK.Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection. If not recognized early and treated promptly, it can lead to organ dysfunction and failure.1 It is a leading cause of hospitalization, mortality and morbidity in adults.2
Sepsis is unpredictable, a silent killer which takes 11 million lives a year and a leading cause of hospitalization. At Sanofi, we are working tirelessly to reduce the worldwide burden of sepsis.
Christian T. Felter
Global Head of E. coli sepsis franchise
Did You Know?
50M
people affected by sepsis every year worldwide.†3
Every 3 seconds
someone in the world dies of sepsis.†3,4
Adults over 65 years old
are 13x more likely to be hospitalized due to sepsis than those under 65.‡5
Meet Kim
Before becoming a sepsis survivor, Kim Smith was a busy woman, running multiple businesses and always on the move. This all changed when Kim contracted a urinary tract infection on holiday, which quickly progressed into sepsis. Nine weeks later, she awoke from an induced coma to the news that all four of her limbs had to be amputated to save her life.
Unfortunately, Kim’s story is not unique. Survivors of sepsis often experience life-changing consequences, such as amputations, organ dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and neurocognitive and psychological long-term effects.6
Escherichia coli in 3DHow Can E. coli Cause Sepsis?
Escherichia coli (E. coli) resides harmlessly in our intestines. However, invasive E. coli disease occurs when certain strains infect normally sterile body sites, like the urinary tract or bloodstream, causing infections which may progress to sepsis.7 It is estimated that E. coli is a leading cause of bacterial sepsis, accounting for up to 30% of cases with an identified origin.*8,9,10
AntibodyE. coli and Antimicrobial Resistance
Many E. coli strains that can cause invasive E. coli disease are becoming resistant to antibiotic treatments, which is a growing public health concern. 7, 11 E. coli is also the largest bacterial contributor to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) related deaths.12
Hannah Wentzel, Associate Brand Manager Influenza & Travel, UKOur Mission
Currently, sepsis is understood as a condition that healthcare professionals need to treat. We believe a shift in emphasis – from treatment to prevention – could deliver a variety of benefits and fill a serious unmet public health need.
This is why we have made Sepsis Prevention our mission. The Phase 3 clinical trial for our E. coli sepsis vaccine candidate is ongoing.
Explore More
#NoJargon: Dive Into the World of Science
Why Vaccines Matter
Sepsis: Expanding Beyond Treatment to Prevention
References
- Singer M, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–810. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.0287
- McDermott, K, and Roemer, M. Most Frequent Principal Diagnoses for Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018. Available at: Agency for healthcare research and quality. https://hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb277-Top-Reasons-Hospital-Stays-2018.jsp. Accessed: September 2024
- Rud, K et al. Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990–2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. The Lancet. Volume 395, Issue 10219, 200 – 21
- Global Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis. Available at: https://globalsepsisalliance.org/sepsis. Accessed: September 2024
- Centers for disease control and prevention. Inpatient Care for Septicemia or Sepsis: A Challenge for Patients and Hospitals. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db62.htm. Accessed: September 2024
- Bracke, Krista et al. Sepsis survivors call for the development of a European sepsis plan. The Lancet, Volume 404, Issue 10462, 1517 - 1518
- Doua J et al. Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Invasive Escherichia Coli Disease in Patients Admitted in Tertiary Care Hospitals, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 10, Issue 2, February 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofad026
- Diekema, D. J. et al. The Microbiology of Bloodstream Infection: 20-Year Trends from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 63, e00355-19 (2019).
- Rhee, C. et al. Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens in Culture-Proven Sepsis and Outcomes Associated With Inadequate and Broad-Spectrum Empiric Antibiotic Use. JAMA Netw. Open 3, e202899 (2020).
- Paoli, C. J. et al. Epidemiology and Costs of Sepsis in the United States—An Analysis Based on Timing of Diagnosis and Severity Level. Crit. Care Med. 46, 1889–1897 (2018).
- Clarke, E.. et al. Unbiased identification of risk factors for invasive Escherichia coli disease using machine learning. BMC Infect Dis 24, 796 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-09669-3
- AMR Collaborators. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis - 2022;399(10325):629-655
*Based on U.S. data
†Based on worldwide data from 2017
‡Based on US data from 2008