Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Expand Partnership Following Successful Phase One Collaboration

Phase two collaboration aims to expand access to streamlined genomic workflows for infectious disease research

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and OXFORD, England, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cepheid, a Danaher company and a leader in molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the company delivering a new generation of nanopore-based molecular sensing technology for real-time genomic analysis, today announced an expansion of their partnership to develop a workflow for rapid bacterial and fungal pathogen identification. Following a successful phase one collaboration announced at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2025, the companies are advancing to the next phase of development, building on a promising beta solution already in use by researchers.

Phase Two Collaboration

In this next phase, the updated workflow will enable pathogen identification, antimicrobial resistance profiling, and genomic antibiotic susceptibility testing predictions for bloodstream infection and sepsis research. These analyses will be performed using both culture isolates and positive blood cultures. This phase will include additional user-friendly product design elements and expanded access through a co-commercialized research use only (RUO) launch.

"Phase two reflects our shared commitment to making advanced infectious disease research more practical and widely achievable," said Vitor Rocha, President of Cepheid. "By leveraging the scale and simplicity of Cepheid's GeneXpert^® platform together with Oxford Nanopore's sequencing technology, we are increasing access to critical infectious disease information."

"We are very encouraged by the success and early feedback from the first phase solution and are excited to broaden the workflow's transformative possibilities to additional research labs," said Francis Van Parys, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. "We have ambitions of a future where Oxford Nanopore sequencing can enable insights when and where they are needed for complex infections."

Experience from Phase One Research Use

The initial workflow, designed to profile bacterial and fungal pathogens from culture isolates for sepsis and bloodstream infection research, has shown promise. Multiple infectious disease researchers already have early beta access, and by Q3-2026, the workflow will be available through an early access program to several leading physician-scientists.

"Rapid genomic testing for infectious diseases has the potential to improve patient care by enabling prompt, accurate prediction of antibiotic resistance, while also strengthening public health surveillance of emerging strains," said Dr. Rahul Batra, Deputy Director of the Centre for Clinical Infection & Diagnostics Research (CIDR) at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. "We're excited to collaborate with Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore to explore faster and more streamlined approaches that could make genomic insight available where it is needed most."

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore share a long-term ambition to deliver an end-to-end in vitro diagnostic (IVD) solution for complex infectious diseases, with the goal of enabling more accurate and timely clinical decisions. They will be present at ESCMID Global this week, showcasing research-stage progress and engaging with the scientific community. Visit them at booths C50 (Cepheid, as part of the Danaher Group) and C70 (Oxford Nanopore Technologies).

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Oxford Nanopore Technologies' goal is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The company has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for faster, information rich, accessible and affordable molecular analysis. The first application is DNA/RNA sequencing and the technology is in development for the analysis of other types of molecule including proteins. The technology is used in more than 125 countries to understand and characterise the biology of humans and diseases such as cancer, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and whole environments. Oxford Nanopore Technologies products are intended for molecular biology applications and are not intended for diagnostic purposes. For more, visit: https://nanoporetech.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 https://www.cepheid.com.

Cepheid is proud to be part of Danaher. Visit www.Danaher.com to learn more about Danaher, a leading life sciences and diagnostics innovator committed to accelerating the power of science and technology to improve human health.

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SOURCE Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies