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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced that Michael Bates, M.D., has joined the company as Vice President of Oncology Research and Development, reporting to David Persing, M.D., Ph.D.  In his new role, Dr. Bates is responsible for Cepheid's micro-RNA program and the development and preclinical evaluation of Cepheid's targeted oncology portfolio, including the Xpert BCR-ABL test under development with our partner, Novartis, and additional Xpert tests for bladder and lung cancer, among others.

"Beyond healthcare associated infections, women's health and virology for our infectious disease program, the second major phase of development for the Xpert test portfolio is expected to be oncology," said Dr. Persing, Cepheid's Chief Medical and Technology Officer.  "Mike is joining us at an exciting time, and I expect that his extensive experience and leadership in the successful development of commercial oncology tests will further leverage Cepheid's impressive capabilities in this important area."

Dr. Bates brings to Cepheid a breadth of experience spanning internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and infectious disease.  Most recently, Dr. Bates was Vice President of Clinical Research at Monogram Biosciences, Inc., acquired by LabCorp in 2009, where he was responsible for clinical research strategy and execution of the company's oncology and virology programs.  In this role, Dr. Bates notably oversaw development and clinical evaluation of breast cancer biomarkers.  Prior to that, Dr. Bates held positions at ViroLogic, Inc. and Roche Laboratories, Inc.

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 genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases 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.

SOURCE Cepheid