Cepheid reports China installed base close to 1,000 GeneXpert® systems

Program to enable broader access to groundbreaking tuberculosis diagnostic

"In the last decade, more than $375 million has been invested by international donors to combat tuberculosis in China, detecting and treating close to 3 million cases of smear-positive TB, and Cepheid is extremely proud that our Xpert test will play a role in supporting the community's goals to reduce the incidence and mortality of TB and to reduce the morbidity and mortality from multi-drug resistant TB in China," said Philippe Jacon, Cepheid's President of HBDC.  "With more than 3,200 GeneXpert systems placed in 108 high TB-burden countries, and more than 7 million Xpert MTB-RIF tests shipped in a little over three years, we believe that Cepheid's GeneXpert system and Xpert test are enabling radical changes in TB diagnosis, where the difference between a two hour test and a six week test can be truly life-saving and reduce the spread of the disease."

The GeneXpert systems are being implemented by the National Tuberculosis Control Program at China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and were purchased with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  The systems are expected to support a significant expansion of treatment for multidrug-resistant TB in China, which after India has the second greatest number of multidrug-resistant TB cases in the world, with an estimated 120,000 new cases each year.

Xpert MTB-RIF was endorsed by the World Health Organization in December 2010.  Additional tests currently in development for high-burden geographies include Xpert HIV Qualitative, Xpert HIV Viral Load, and Xpert HCV Viral Load. 

About Cepheid

Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) is a leading molecular diagnostics company that is dedicated to improving healthcare by developing, manufacturing, and marketing accurate yet easy to use molecular systems and tests. By automating highly complex and time-consuming manual procedures, the company's solutions deliver a better way for institutions of any size to access the full power of molecular diagnostics. The company's systems enable rapid, sophisticated testing solutions for infectious diseases, oncology, and genetic conditions by automating otherwise complex manual laboratory procedures. Through its strong molecular biology capabilities, the company is focusing on those applications where accurate, rapid, and actionable test results are needed most, such as managing infectious diseases and cancer. For more information, visit www.cepheid.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are not purely historical regarding Cepheid’s or its management’s intentions, beliefs, expectations and strategies for the future, including those relating to the performance, speed and accuracy of our products, including relative to competing products, the breadth and speed of test menu expansion, the results of clinical trials, and future medical practice dynamics, including the utilization and efficacy of our tests in a clinical environment. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from the Company’s current expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as those relating to: test performance in the field; utilization of our tests by clinicians; our ability to successfully develop new products; the completion of clinical trials for new products successfully and in a timely manner; uncertainties related to the United States FDA, European and other regulatory processes applicable to our products; the Company’s ability to successfully introduce and sell products in clinical markets and high burden developing countries; the Company’s research and development budget; unforeseen supply, development and manufacturing problems; the potential need for additional intellectual property licenses for tests and other products and the terms of such licenses; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the Company’s ability to manage geographically-dispersed operations; and underlying regulatory, political and market conditions worldwide. Readers should also refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Cepheid’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Source: Cepheid