Global health advocates have written to the manufacturers of a vital mpox diagnostic test, urging them to reduce its price from approximately $20 per test to $5. This price cut, they argue, is essential to improve testing rates in low-income countries severely affected by the virus.
Cepheid, the medical diagnostics company behind the GeneXpert mpox test, produces one of three tests approved for emergency use by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, campaigners say the test’s high cost makes it inaccessible for countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been hit hardest by the outbreak.
Mpox was declared a global public health emergency by the WHO earlier this year, as an outbreak in Congo began spreading to neighbouring countries. The virus, which typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, can be fatal.
This week, the WHO reported a “general rising trend” in mpox cases across Africa, although the spread may be stabilising in parts of Congo. However, inadequate testing is hampering efforts to confirm cases, particularly in Congo, one of the world’s poorest nations.
“We urge you to lower the price of mpox test cartridges to $5 and prioritise supply for African countries battling mpox outbreaks,“ stated a letter signed by groups including rights organisation Public Citizen and medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
Cepheid’s test is considered especially crucial because the machines needed to process the results are widely available in Africa, where they are also used for tuberculosis (TB) testing.
Danaher, Cepheid’s parent company, reduced the price of its TB tests to $7.97 last year following pressure from campaigners.
When asked for comment on the letter, a Cepheid spokesperson stated: “We have worked quickly to increase production of our mpox test, including in response to urgent requests from the WHO.”
The company added that it was prioritising orders from regions with the greatest need and offering a “significant” discount for orders placed through the WHO and similar organisations. However, it did not disclose the extent of this discount or comment on the test’s price.
Advocates have proposed the $5 price point based on research suggesting that the tests can be manufactured for less than this amount.
Peter Maybarduk, Public Citizen’s director of access to medicines, said the WHO’s recent approval of the test presented an opportunity to expand testing. “Lower prices would help health agencies rise to the challenge,” he said.
