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SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the recent completion of a record shipment of 774 GeneXpert systems to a single country in one quarter, Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today applauded groundbreaking tuberculosis programs in China where more than a million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) are reported each year.  Combined with systems placed previously, the second quarter placements bring the cumulative total of GeneXpert systems in China to more than 970.  The purchase of almost 170,000 Xpert® MTB-RIF cartridges will support the initial roll out of the systems throughout the rest of 2014.

"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.

SOURCE Cepheid