Cepheid Receives Health Canada Medical Device License for Xpert MRSA(TM) Test and GeneXpert...( License Enables Access to Canadian HA...)

License Enables Access to Canadian HAI Market; Market Expenditures for MRSA

Surveillance Expected to Reach $80 Million by 2012

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced that Health Canada has issued a medical device license for the Xpert(TM) MRSA test for the rapid detection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on nasal swabs and the GeneXpert(R) System. Xpert MRSA test results are available in approximately 70 minutes thereby enabling rapid identification of carriers of the potential pathogen in less than two hours, from the acquisition of the patient sample to returning the result to the floor. The availability of the Xpert MRSA test and the GeneXpert System is expected to help enable Canadian healthcare organizations to implement more efficient infection control measures, leading to lower hospital acquired infection rates and improved patient care.

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As is the situation in the United States, MRSA is a growing public health concern in Canada. According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology the rate of MRSA in Canadian hospitals has increased steadily between 1995 and 2004. Patients with MRSA require prolonged hospitalization extending 26 days on average, special control measures, expensive treatments and extensive surveillance.

"There is evidence of growing worldwide concern over increasing MRSA infection rates and other Healthcare Acquired Infections such as Clostridium difficile. We expect to see more countries moving toward initiation of active surveillance programs," said Cepheid Chief Executive Officer John Bishop. "The GeneXpert System is uniquely positioned to enable organizations to provide fast, reliable MRSA test results 24 hours a day, seven d
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