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SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced that the winner of the Ride Against TB bike, a prize in the campaign to benefit the American Lung Association, will be revealed at the 2^nd annual New York City World TB Day Walk and Rally on March 22 ^nd.  At 9:30 a.m. EDT, Paul Teutul Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs will hand over the keys to the winner of the one-of-a-kind PJD bike at the start line of the World TB Day walk. Cody Connelly, of American Chopper fame, will then ride the custom-designed bike to lead walkers from Union Square in the march down Broadway to the TB rally in Washington Square.

Following the walk, photos of the winner and subsequent activities will be posted on the Ride Against TB campaign website at www.Facebook.com/RideAgainstTB. The Ride Against TB campaign kicked off last July in Houston, Texas. The goal of the campaign is to raise overall awareness of the need for improved diagnostic solutions for the rapid detection of tuberculosis in the United States.

"Every year on March 24 ^th the global community commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch astounded the scientific community with his announcement that he had discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis," said John Bishop, Cepheid's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We launched this campaign in Houston and are concluding it in New York City — two cities that are among the top five in the U.S. with the highest prevalence rates of TB. World TB Day is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic in much of the world and a life-threatening problem in the United States. I am proud of the work that Cepheid's employees and business partners have done to help build awareness in the U.S. with the 'Ride Against TB.'"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) selected the theme "Find TB. Treat TB. Working together to eliminate TB" for World TB Day 2014 to highlight that tuberculosis is still a life-threatening problem in the United States, despite the declining number of TB cases. Anyone can get TB, and current efforts to find and treat latent TB infection and TB disease are not sufficient. Misdiagnosis of TB still exists and health care professionals often do not "think TB."¹

"The American Lung Association was originally founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis," said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "A century ago, TB was a leading cause of death in the United States. In the U.S., tuberculosis disease and deaths have declined steadily from the early 1900s due largely to the introduction of effective antibiotics and improvements in living conditions. While there is a popular misconception that TB is a disease of the past, it continues to pose a threat to public health. Our goal is to raise public awareness of the continuing need for improved diagnosis and treatment options for lung disease patients and to increase access to appropriate health care for all."

For information about the American Lung Association and its fight against lung disease, please visit www.Lung.org. For more information about Cepheid's "Ride Against TB" campaign www.Facebook.com/RideAgainstTB.

About the 2nd Annual New York City World TB Day Walk & Rally "One World, Zero TB"
Location: Union Square to Washington Square Park, Manhattan, New York, USA

Description:

Tuberculosis is still one of the deadliest diseases in NYC and around the world. Worldwide, three people die from TB every minute. We need your help to raise TB awareness and advocacy. Please join us on March 22, 2014 for the 2nd Annual New York City TB Walk and Rally-Saturday, March 22, 2014. Meet at the SE corner of Union Square at 9:30AM for a fun and energizing walk down to Washington Square Park and into Judson Memorial Church, where there will be a rally, refreshments, and fun activities for the family. Register for the walk at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1401419/New-York-City-2014-TB-Walk-Registration-Form

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 perform sophisticated genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases. 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. Cepheid's newly announced Xpert MTB/RIF test can provide rapid information on the presence of TB and potential drug resistance within two hours, which distinguishes it from other available TB tests. For more information, visit http://www.cepheid.com.

About the American Lung Association

Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is "Fighting for Air" through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1 800 LUNG USA (1 800 586 4872) or visit www.lung.org.

References:

1. http://www.cdc.gov/TB/events/WorldTBDay/default.htm

SOURCE Cepheid