Watertown, MA, May 20, 2025 – Exergen Corporation, a global leader in non-invasive temperature measurement technologies, has been spotlighted for its critical contribution to pediatric oncology care in Latin America through its support of the Golden Hour Initiative. The latest results, presented by GRAACC (Grupo de Apoio ao Adolescente e à Criança com Câncer) at the XIX Congresso Brasileiro de Oncologia Pediátrica, underscore how Exergen’s technology is helping save lives by facilitating faster and more accurate fever detection in immunocompromised children.
“The Golden Hour program, developed by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in the USA is a global, evidence-based initiative that aims to administer antibiotics to pediatric cancer patients with fever within 60 minutes of hospital arrival — a vital intervention to prevent rapid deterioration and sepsis in vulnerable, especially cancer, patients,” says Dr. Francesco Pompei, CEO and founder of Exergen Corporation. “The initiative is now active in more than 85 hospitals across Latin America, including Brazil, where GRAACC has played a leading role in demonstrating measurable improvements in emergency care.”
As part of its commitment to the Golden Hour initiative, Exergen has been providing key resources to participating hospitals, including its Temporal Artery Thermometers (TAT), training, technical guidance, and continuous follow-up. This partnership has enabled hospitals like GRAACC to achieve faster fever detection and reduce delays in treatment for children undergoing chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapies.
“We are proud that our technology is making a difference in the lives of children with cancer across Latin America,” said Dr. Pompei. “GRAACC’s presentation validates the real-world impact of accurate, non-invasive thermometry in time-critical settings. Our collaboration with the Golden Hour program exemplifies how Exergen’s innovation can support frontline healthcare teams in delivering faster, safer, and more effective care.”
A Proven Model of International Impact
The Golden Hour initiative has demonstrated substantial improvements in timeliness and clinical outcomes. In the first phase of the MAS (Mexico in Alliance with St. Jude) Collaborative, compliance with the 60-minute antibiotic administration target increased from 39% to 79%, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second MAS Collaborative, which ran from 2021 to 2023, expanded the program to 85 hospitals in six countries. More than 6,000 fever events were recorded, and sepsis rates fell from 16% to 6%.
With strong institutional backing including support from ministries of health, national social security institutions, and leading NGOs the program has become a scalable, sustainable model for improving pediatric emergency care in resource-constrained settings.
Exergen’s Role: Technology that Enables Timely Action
Exergen’s Temporal Artery Thermometers are uniquely suited to meet the needs of emergency care protocols like the Golden Hour. Designed for non-invasive, rapid, and highly accurate readings, the TAT enables healthcare teams to quickly assess fever in even the most vulnerable patients, without causing additional distress or risk of cross-contamination.
By supporting hospitals with its technology and expertise, Exergen is contributing to the broader goals of the Golden Hour initiative: reducing preventable deaths, improving quality of care, and empowering local medical teams with the tools they need to succeed.
Next Steps
As the GRAACC study becomes more widely shared, Exergen plans to work with the Golden Hour program’s lead institutions, including St. Jude, to further disseminate these results. This will include outreach to other participating hospitals across Latin America and beyond, helping to accelerate the adoption of life-saving protocols.
“The data speaks for itself: timely intervention saves lives,” said Dr. Pompei. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration and continuing to support the mission of improving outcomes for children with cancer worldwide.”
About Exergen
Exergen Corporation, the leader in non-invasive temperature measurement technologies for industrial and medical applications, delivers non-invasive temperature meters with higher accuracy, lower costs, less process control, and higher reliability than previously possible. Known in both healthcare and consumer markets for its award-winning arterial thermometer, Exergen was founded by MIT and Harvard – educated and Harvard researcher Dr. Francesco Pompei, who holds more than 100 patents supporting Exergen products. Exergen Corporation is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, United States.
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