STAT Plus: Cepheid is accused of overcharging and undersupplying its Covid-19 test to poor countries
As controversy rises over equal access to Covid-19 medical products, a manufacturer of rapid, point-of care tests is being urged to lower the price of its diagnostic and also increase sales to a World Health Organization diagnostics consortium designed to serve low-income countries.
At issue is a test developed by Cepheid, which charges $19.80 for the test for 145 developing countries represented by the consortium. Doctors Without Borders argues the company could still make a profit if the price was lowered to $5. The relief organization extrapolated data from an analysis of a Cepheid test for tuberculosis, which found expenses amounted to $3 in production cost, at high sales volumes.
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