Activists urge Cepheid to reduce mpox test prices to $5 for better global access.
Health advocates are pressing Cepheid, the maker of a critical mpox diagnostic test, to drastically reduce its price from around $20 per test to just $5. The push comes as health organizations struggle with low testing rates in countries hardest hit by the virus, particularly in Africa.
Cepheid’s GeneXpert mpox test, one of only three diagnostic tests approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use, is vital in the battle against the ongoing mpox outbreaks. However, at $20 per test, the price is seen as prohibitively high for resource-poor nations like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been at the epicenter of the current outbreak.
Mpox, which causes symptoms such as fever, flu-like illness, and painful lesions, has become a significant public health threat, with cases rising in many African countries. Despite the increase, one of the major obstacles to controlling the virus is the lack of access to testing. Without widespread testing, many cases remain undiagnosed, making it difficult to track and contain the virus.
In a letter sent this week, global health organizations like Public Citizen and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urged Cepheid to lower the price of their mpox test cartridges to $5 and prioritize supplying them to African countries, particularly those with high rates of infection like the DRC.
The GeneXpert machines used to process the test are already widely available in Africa, as they are used for tuberculosis testing. This makes Cepheid’s test especially important for scaling up mpox testing in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure.
Last year, Cepheid’s parent company, Danaher, responded to pressure from advocates by lowering the price of its tuberculosis (TB) tests to $7.97 per test, a move praised by public health groups. Activists are hoping for a similar reduction for mpox tests, especially as the WHO’s recent approval opens the door for expanded testing efforts.
Public Citizen’s Peter Maybarduk, Director of Access to Medicines, said, “This is the moment to ramp up testing. Lowering the price of the tests would allow health agencies to act swiftly and save lives.”
Despite this, Cepheid and its parent company Danaher have not yet responded to requests for comment.
