Global Biotech Titans Unleash Power Duo to Revolutionise Infectious Disease Detection: A New Age in the Field of Sequencing Begins!

In an unprecedented biotech pairing, Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Global molecular diagnostics company, Cepheid, have announced a strategic collaboration designed to fast track sequencing solutions for infectious diseases.

These two world-leading companies have successfully completed a proof-of-concept study, demonstrating the efficacy of using Cepheid’s cartridge-based GeneXpert system in a diagnostic workflow with Oxford Nanopore’s revolutionary molecular analysis platform. The positive outcome of the study has laid the groundwork for a seamless, end-to-end workflow that is set to launch an era of rapid, in-house sequencing for infectious diseases. The joint initiative will promise results in hours instead of the traditional turnaround time of days.

President of Cepheid, Vitor Rocha, notes that the ’ease-of-use of the GeneXpert system’ combined with Oxford Nanopore’s ‘unique sequencing platform’ paves the way for wider access to critical molecular information in infectious disease outbreak characterization and antimicrobial resistance profiling.

Emphasizing the far-reaching implications of the collaboration, Dr Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, expressed optimism for the integrated solution to improve understanding of infectious diseases and establish a foundation for broader expansion into clinical applications.

The innovatively designed workflow is set to be compatible with a range of third-party informatics tools, including Oxford Nanopore’s EPI2ME, and other solutions within the company’s compatible provider network. Furthermore, Cepheid plans to augment the joint workflow by commercialising a licensed informatics solution from a leading industry player.