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Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc (LSE: ONT) (“Oxford Nanopore”), the company delivering a new generation of molecular sensing technology based on nanopores, and Cepheid, a leading molecular diagnostics company, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialise a seamless end-to-end workflow to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases.

The two companies have completed a successful proof-of-concept study which demonstrated the feasibility of using Cepheid’s cartridge-based GeneXpert system for sample and library preparation in a workflow with Oxford Nanopore’s molecular analysis platform. The positive results from the proof-of-concept have paved the way for the strategic collaboration to develop and launch a joint Research Use Only1 (RUO) workflow that will enable customers to leverage rapid, information-rich sequencing in-house for infectious disease analysis, returning results within hours instead of days.

The collaboration is intended to deliver a scalable, automated, end-to-end solution for simplified nanopore-based sequencing workflows for use within a range of settings, including labs that have previously not had the expertise to conduct sequencing in-house. The initial application of the workflow will focus on infectious disease, specifically the profiling of bacterial and fungal pathogens using whole genome sequencing first from culture isolates and eventually directly from positive blood cultures. The collaboration has the potential to expand into additional infectious disease use cases, other areas such as cancer and human genetics, and eventually regulatory approved clinical diagnostics.

Vitor Rocha, President of Cepheid, commented:

“Combining the ease-of-use of the GeneXpert system, the most widely placed PCR diagnostic instrument world-wide, with Oxford Nanopore’s unique sequencing platform, unlocks a richness of biomarker data that has historically been technically challenging for many labs to access. Providing an integrated solution to more effectively characterise infectious diseases, understand the epidemiology of bacterial outbreaks, and profile antimicrobial resistance will meaningfully accelerate our mission of expanding access to critical molecular information. The potential for future expansion of this technology to applications for patient care is exciting.”

Dr Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore commented:

“This collaboration represents an important step forward in delivering new and improved workflow options to better understand infectious diseases. By partnering to integrate our richer data, rapid insights, and accessible and affordable sequencing technology with Cepheid's GeneXpert architecture, we are establishing a workflow foundation that is positioned for future expansion into scaled routine clinical use."

The joint workflow will be compatible with a range of third-party informatics tools including Oxford Nanopore’s EPI2ME, and other informatic solutions that are part of Oxford Nanopore’s compatible provider network. Cepheid will also complement the joint workflow by directly offering an informatics solution, which they will commercialise by way of a license from a leading industry player.

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