- New agreement aims to provide greater access to millions more
high-quality tuberculosis (TB) tests for people living in the least
developed countries where the need is most urgent.
- Enables the Global Fund to provide Cepheid's Xpert®
MTB/RIF Ultra diagnostic test cartridges for TB at cost, with no
profit to Danaher.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR)
("Danaher"), a global science and technology innovator, today
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.
ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a global science and
technology innovator committed to helping its customers solve
complex challenges and improving quality of life around the world.
Its family of world class brands has leadership positions in the
demanding and attractive health care, environmental and applied
end-markets. With more than 20 operating companies, Danaher's
globally diverse team of approximately 81,000 associates is united
by a common culture and operating system, the Danaher Business
System, and its Shared Purpose, Helping Realize Life's
Potential. For more information, please
visit www.danaher.com.
ABOUT CEPHEID
Cepheid is dedicated to improving
healthcare by pioneering molecular diagnostics that combine speed,
accuracy, and flexibility. The company's GeneXpert® systems and
Xpert® tests automate highly complex and time-consuming manual
procedures, providing A Better Way for institutions of any size to
perform world-class PCR testing. Cepheid's broad test portfolio
spans respiratory infections, blood virology, women's and sexual
health, TB and emerging infectious diseases, healthcare-associated
infectious diseases, oncology and human genetics. The company's
solutions deliver actionable results where they are needed most –
from central laboratories and hospitals to near-patient settings.
For more information, visit http://www.cepheid.com.
ABOUT THE GLOBAL FUND
In 2022, the Global Fund
invested more than US$5.2 billion a
year to defeat HIV, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer,
equitable future for all. We unite the world to find solutions that
have the most impact, and we take them to scale worldwide. It's
working. Together, we have saved 59 million lives. We won't stop
until the job is finished.
1 Cepheid Global Access Program Eligibility
(https://www.cepheid.com/en-US/impact/global-access/eligibility-and-pricing.html)
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SOURCE Danaher Corporation