Danaher to provide Cepheid’s ultra diagnostic test cartridges to Global Fund

Danaher Corporation announced it will provide Cepheid’s Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra diagnostic test cartridges for tuberculosis (TB) at Cepheid’s cost of $7.97 each to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (“the Global Fund”) and to less-developed countries eligible for Cepheid’s Global Access Program1 to support greater access to high-quality TB testing. The Global Fund is the largest provider of financing and programs to combat TB globally, ensuring each year that millions of tests are distributed in countries where the need to improve access is greatest.

By reducing the price of Cepheid’s Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra test cartridge to $7.97, Danaher will be selling at its cost and will earn no profit.

The agreement significantly expands a longtime partnership between Cepheid – a Danaher operating company – and the Global Fund to improve access to testing where it matters most. Both Cepheid and the Global Fund are members of a consortium that also includes the Stop TB Partnership, the Global Drug Facility, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which aims to increase access to essential diagnostic testing solutions in support of the global goal to end TB around the world by 2030.

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said: “I very much welcome Danaher’s commitment which should enable significantly expanded access to the communities most in need. Reducing the price of these sophisticated TB tests by 20 per cent will give a significant boost to our collective efforts to scale up testing and save lives.”

Rainer M. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Danaher, said: “Danaher is committed to solving critical healthcare challenges impacting patients around the world. Today’s agreement to provide the Global Fund with ‘at-cost’ TB tests for low- and middle-income countries will help improve the lives of millions of people. TB is the leading cause of infectious disease-related deaths worldwide and accurate, fast diagnosis is the critical first step to effective treatment.”

Cepheid’s Xpert TB test was developed in partnership with FIND and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For over a decade, Cepheid has supported the fight against TB with a substantially subsidized price for low- and middle-income and high TB-burden countries through the World Health Organization, OGAC/USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Unitaid.

Cepheid has been in ongoing dialogue with the Global Fund for some time seeking to find ways to further improve access to TB testing. Cepheid noted that recent speculation, based on the analysis of partial information, has significantly understated the cost of its TB test cartridges, resulting in considerable overstatement of their profitability. Going forward, Cepheid will validate its actual cost annually with an internationally accredited third-party assessment and adjust pricing accordingly, if necessary, so that Danaher can assure that it continues to earn no profit from these cartridge sales.

For over 15 years Cepheid has supported increased testing and expanded access to testing in countries with a high incidence of TB and other infectious diseases. During that time, the company has continued to innovate and invested extensively in research and development to bring better, more accurate, and less expensive tests to market, helping to reach the people who need them most. Danaher and Cepheid are committed to continuing to help further expand access to accurate, high quality, and easy-to-use testing for TB globally.
MB Bureau