Cepheid, a Danaher company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to develop an advanced workflow for rapid bacterial and fungal pathogen identification, targeting applications in bloodstream infections and sepsis research.
Building on a successful first phase collaboration unveiled at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2025, the companies are progressing to phase two, focusing on enhancing usability and expanding access to their integrated solution. The workflow combines Cepheid’s GeneXpert® system with Oxford Nanopore’s real-time sequencing technology to deliver comprehensive genomic insights.
The updated platform is designed to enable rapid pathogen identification, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiling, and genomic predictions of antibiotic susceptibility. These capabilities will be applied to both culture isolates and positive blood cultures, supporting research into complex infectious diseases such as sepsis.
In its next phase, the collaboration will introduce improved product design features and broader availability through a co-commercialized research-use-only (RUO) launch. The companies aim to make advanced genomic workflows more accessible to research laboratories, addressing the growing demand for faster and more precise infectious disease diagnostics.
Early results from phase one have demonstrated promising performance, with beta versions of the workflow already in use by infectious disease researchers. By the third quarter of 2026, the companies plan to expand access through an early access program involving leading physician-scientists.
The integrated approach reflects a broader industry shift toward combining molecular diagnostics with next-generation sequencing technologies to enhance clinical decision-making. Rapid genomic testing has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes by enabling earlier detection of pathogens and more accurate prediction of antibiotic resistance, while also strengthening public health surveillance of emerging infectious threats.
Both companies are presenting their latest progress at ESCMID Global, where they are engaging with the scientific community and showcasing the potential of their collaborative solution.
