Time for $5

UPDATE, 22 March 2024:

For the next phase of our campaign, timed for World TB Day on 24 March 2024, we launched a public petition today, calling on Danaher and Cepheid to stop their profiteering on lifesaving medical tests, and drop the price of ALL GeneXpert tests in low- and middle-income countries.

While our analysis has shown that GeneXpert tests cost around $3 to $5 to produce, Danaher and Cepheid continue to charge ~$15 to $20 per test for XDR-TB (severest form of TB), HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, Ebola, and many other diseases.

Our petition calls on the corporations to reduce the price of all tests to $5 each for all diseases, which would still turn a profit for them. By doing so, millions more people around the world can be diagnosed and quickly receive the treatment they need to stay alive and healthy.

UPDATE, 19 September 2023:

Thanks to your campaigning support, Danaher and Cepheid announced they will reduce the price of the main drug-resistant TB test (Xpert MTB/RIF) by 20% in high-TB-burden countries, from $9.98 to $7.97 per test. Although not the 50% reduction to $5 we have been calling for, this price drop is a significant step in the right direction, considering the corporations have refused to reduce the price of this critical test for over 10 years.

While a major step forward, the corporations are not reducing the price of the test for extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB, which is the deadliest form of TB. The price of this test (Xpert MTB/XDR) remains exorbitant at $14.90. The corporations are also not reducing the test prices for other important diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and Ebola, which range in price from ~$15 to $20 per single test cartridge. We continue to call on Danaher and Cepheid to work towards further price reductions of these other tests, so that many more people can be diagnosed and receive treatment quickly.

Campaign with us!  

Our medical teams on the ground see every day how high prices for diagnostic tests prevent people from getting a rapid and accurate diagnosis for their illness, which is the first step to them getting access to lifesaving treatment. 

US diagnostics company Cepheid, and its parent corporation Danaher, sell the GeneXpert test - a critical tool used for diagnosing life-threatening diseases like tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis and Ebola. The GeneXpert test can save millions of lives - but the tests are too expensive for most countries where they are needed. 

Photograph by Sophia Apostolia

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This is outrageous because it costs Cepheid less than $5 to produce one test, but the company is charging countries double, 3x, or 4x that price. Moreover, Cepheid has received more than $250 million of taxpayer money for research and development of the GeneXpert testing technology. This amounts to unethical profiteering by Cepheid. 

You can help us support this campaign and get the corporations to drop the price of the tests. You’ll be helping to save lives when you join us!

You can take action now with us to urge Danaher and Cepheid to put people over profits and drop the price of ALL tests across diseases, including XDR-TB (the deadliest form of TB), HIV, hepatitis, Ebola and sexually transmitted infections. Together, we can make a difference to end corporate greed and ensure access to lifesaving tests for all!

How can you help? 👇

• Tweet @DanaherCorp and @CepheidNews using our template, or write your own, using the hashtags #PeopleOverProfits and #TimeFor5. You can also post on Facebook and LinkedIn, tagging Danaher and Cepheid.   
• Email Danaher at [email protected]
• Call the corporate offices of Danaher at +1-202-828-0850, or Cepheid at +1-888-838-3222

Feel free to use our graphics below in your social media posts! 

Please remember to always be polite and respectful in all your communications. 

With your help, we can make change together and increase access to lifesaving tests for all!