What's Happening?
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies have announced an expansion of their partnership to develop a workflow for rapid bacterial and fungal pathogen identification. Building on a successful phase one collaboration, the companies are advancing to phase two,
which will enable pathogen identification, antimicrobial resistance profiling, and genomic antibiotic susceptibility testing predictions for bloodstream infection and sepsis research. The updated workflow will include user-friendly product design elements and expanded access through a co-commercialized research use only launch.
Why It's Important?
The expansion of this partnership is crucial for advancing infectious disease research, as rapid genomic testing can improve patient care by enabling prompt, accurate prediction of antibiotic resistance. This also strengthens public health surveillance of emerging strains. By leveraging Cepheid's GeneXpert platform and Oxford Nanopore's sequencing technology, the partnership aims to increase access to critical infectious disease information, making advanced research more practical and widely achievable.
What's Next?
The initial workflow has shown promise in profiling bacterial and fungal pathogens for sepsis and bloodstream infection research. By Q3-2026, the workflow will be available through an early access program to several leading physician-scientists. Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore aim to deliver an end-to-end in vitro diagnostic solution for complex infectious diseases, enabling more accurate and timely clinical decisions. They will showcase their progress at the ESCMID Global event, engaging with the scientific community.
