Vivid Dx Appoints Diagnostics Veteran John Sperzel as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

OXFORD, United Kingdom, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vivid Dx, a precision diagnostics company transforming pathogen detection and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) testing, today announced the appointment of John Sperzel as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Sperzel has over three decades of executive leadership in the diagnostics sector. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of T2 Biosystems, President and CEO of both Chembio Diagnostics and Accriva Diagnostics (Werfen), and President of Axis-Shield (Alere). Earlier in his career, he held executive leadership roles at Bayer Diagnostics (Siemens), Werfen, and Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics (Roche).

A spin-out from the University of Oxford, Vivid Dx is developing a next-generation platform to deliver broad pathogen ID in 30 minutes and phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) in 3 hours – directly from blood, with no blood culture required. By combining novel pathogen cell isolation, Raman spectroscopy, a proprietary Raman spectra database, and advanced AI/ML, the platform has the potential to redefine the speed, accuracy, and clinical utility of infectious disease diagnostics. The company is backed by Oxford Science Enterprises and other leading investors.

“Vivid Dx is positioned to transform the microbiology workflow,” said Sperzel. “Our culture-free approach will enable faster clinical decision-making, better patient outcomes, and reduced costs across the healthcare system. For me, this work is also personal – it’s about saving lives.”

A Global Health and Commercial Imperative

Sepsis and AMR represent a combined $6+ billion global market, growing 8–10% annually. Yet most diagnostics still rely on slow, blood culture-based workflows. Sepsis causes 11 million deaths annually, more than all cancers combined, and costs the U.S. over $62 billion per year. AMR contributes to over 6 million deaths annually, with a projected $1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050. Delays in effective treatment increase mortality by up to 8% per hour, highlighting the urgent need for innovation.

“Having John join Vivid Dx at this pivotal stage is transformative,” said Timothy I. Still, Chairman of the Vivid Dx Board of Directors. “His depth of diagnostics experience, strategic vision, and personal understanding of the urgency in sepsis care make him the ideal leader to guide us toward clinical validation, regulatory approval, and commercial success.”

For more information, please visit vivid-dx.com.

For inquiries: info@vivid-dx.com

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