The COVID-19 Supply Chain System and Diagnostics Consortium was established in February 2020 at the request of the United Nations Secretary-General and the World Health Organization Director-General. [...] In contrast, Cepheid sold nine million COVID-19 cartridges globally in the fourth quarter of 2020.2 It is shameful that less than 15% of Cepheid’s total production capacity is committed to the Diagnostics Consortium, which represents 144 low- and middle-income countries accounting for more than 80% of the global population. [...] Given this and the 35% increase in instrument sales during 2020 from the previous year, countries’ efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic have more than helped recoup Cepheid’s initial investments and start-up costs for the SARS-CoV-2 tests. [...] Cepheid should take urgent steps in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by committing to supply the volumes requested through the Diagnostics Consortium and decreasing the price of its GeneXpert SARS-CoV-2 test to $5 per cartridge. [...] Furthermore, we would like to reiterate previous appeals from civil society and affected communities to Cepheid to decrease the price of its other GeneXpert tests, including for tuberculosis, HIV, HBV, and HCV, to $5, inclusive of service and maintenance.5 This price better 2 reflects the cost of manufacturing and would allow LMICs to scale up GeneXpert testing for COVID-19 as well as other infect.
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