SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced that it has entered into a collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory to develop in-field nucleic acid assays for Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever viruses utilizing Cepheid's GeneXpert technology. Under the agreement, Cepheid and the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory have been awarded $780,000 Canadian over a 2 year period to develop the assays. The GeneXpert was chosen for this project because of its ability to both process samples and run PCR in a field environment.

"This program represents a unique opportunity as we execute our strategy to broaden Cepheid's Biothreat test menu. There are only a few labs in the world where these organisms can be handled. We look forward to working with Canada's Public Health Agency National Microbiology Laboratory in moving the program to a successful completion," said John Bishop Cepheid's Chief Executive Officer.

The grants funding this program are coming from the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Research and Technologies Initiative (CRTI) in Canada. CRTI is a Canadian interdepartmental initiative comprised of 14 government science-based and security departments and agencies. Funding allocation for CRTI projects requires that a commercial partner is involved so that the funding results in a product. Cepheid will retain rights to the developed technology along with product distribution rights.

About Cepheid

Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets fully-integrated systems for genetic analysis in the clinical, industrial and biothreat markets. The company's systems enable rapid, sophisticated genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automating otherwise complex manual laboratory procedures. The company's easy-to-use systems integrate a number of complicated and time-intensive steps, including sample preparation, DNA amplification and detection, which enable the analysis of complex biological samples in its proprietary test cartridges. Through its strong molecular biology capabilities, the company is focusing on those applications where rapid molecular testing is particularly important, such as identifying infectious disease and cancer in the clinical market; food, agricultural, and environmental testing in the industrial market; and identifying bio-terrorism agents in the biothreat market. See www.cepheid.com for more information.

    CONTACTS:
    At the Company:
    John L. Bishop                   John R. Sluis
    CEO, Cepheid                     CFO, Cepheid
    408-541-4191                     408-541-4191
    john.bishop@cepheid.com          john.sluis@cepheid.com

    At Financial Relations Board:
    Tricia Ross
    Investor/Analyst Information
    617-520-7064
    tross@financialrelationsboard.com

SOURCE Cepheid
02/14/2006
CONTACT: John L. Bishop, CEO, john.bishop@cepheid.com, or John R. Sluis,
CFO, john.sluis@cepheid.com, both of Cepheid, +1-408-541-4191; or
Investor/Analyst Information, Tricia Ross or Financial Relations Board,
+1-617-520-7064, tross@financialrelationsboard.com, for Cepheid
Web site: http://www.cepheid.com
(CPHD)