Templates

Danaher—

I’m reaching out to you out of concern for the millions of people living with dangerous diseases who do not receive a diagnosis. Your GeneXpert machines can diagnose Ebola, HIV, extensively drug-resistant TB, hepatitis, and many common sexually transmitted infections, but they are out of reach to the people who need them most because of unreasonably high prices.

Independent research has shown that you can make a fair profit at $5 per test, which would allow governments and organizations to scale up testing. These tests currently cost $15-$20, which is too expensive for many who need them. Millions of people continue to die of treatable diseases and your tests could help change that.

In September of last year, you made a commitment to have the actual cost of your MTR/RIF Xpert cartridges validated with a third-party assessment, and to release these results publicly. Over a year later, this still has not happened, and you have ignored deadlines set by the people interested in increasing access to your crucial tests. All research available continues to show that your tests are sold for far above the cost to produce them.

I urge you to show your commitment to putting people over profits by fulfilling your promise to annually audit TB test prices. Please release this audit immediately to help save lives.

Regards,

[Your name]

Danaher Team,

I’m reaching out on behalf of the millions of people who have died in recent years from misdiagnosed HIV, Ebola, hepatitis, and countless other diseases, including multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. I was relieved to find out last year that you agreed to reduce the price of your lifesaving MTR/RIF Xpert cartridges, allowing people to have access to these lifesaving diagnoses.

Alongside this, you promised to fund an independent and publicly available audit of the production costs and profit margins for the MTR/RIF Xpert cartridges. A year later, this data still has not been disclosed. Independent analysis has shown that you could afford to price these tests at $5 while making a healthy profit, and yet you inexplicably price with a 60% to 300% markup at the expense of human lives.

I’m writing to compel you to release the results of this audit immediately. You have ignored the deadlines set by people interested in increasing access to your tests, despite the fact that these tests are critical to the worldwide fight against tuberculosis, and I hope you will keep your word and do your part in that struggle. In the time that it took to compose this message, around 70 people died of TB. These deaths were preventable, and you can help prevent them.

Regards,

[Your Name]

[Date]

To the Board of Directors, Danaher Corporation,

It has been over a year since you promised to conduct and release an accredited third-party audit of the costs of your GeneXpert TBletter tests. Independent research has shown that you can make a fair profit at $5.

Since the claimed cost of $7.97 per test differs from the previously published independent audit from MSF, the audit results are of particular interest to me. Millions of people continue to die of treatable diseases but your tests could help change that, if only those who need them most could afford them.

I am asking you to fulfill your commitment and publish the audit results. Transparency in the pricing structure is important, as any additional cost leads to preventable deaths. This is especially true for tests for drug-resistant tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, Ebola, and many other diseases, which are not yet sold at cost.

I look forward to seeing the results of the audit as well as your continued actions to make your products more accessible to those in need.

Regards,

[Your name]

[Date]

To the Board of Directors at Danaher Corporation,

I am very concerned about your choice to go back on the promise of an independent, third party audit that would show the production cost and price structure for Cepheid’s Xpert tests. Considering the independent estimate that the tests cost less than $4.50 to make, you have an interest in releasing an audit if the results support your claim. The only conceivable reason not to release the promised audit would be that the cost estimate is much lower than you would like to admit. This does not reflect well on your company, and I want you to know that this behavior is not going unnoticed.

I truly appreciate the great work you have done in creating these tests (using taxpayer funds) and respect your right to make a reasonable profit off of your work. I hope that you can continue to make great strides in improving health care outcomes in the future. I urge you to remember that human lives are on the line, and that every day that we wait, people die undiagnosed and untreated for illness because they cannot afford testing.

I urge you to do the right thing and be both truthful and accountable moving forward. To allow preventable human suffering and death in this way is unacceptable. If your mission statement and social media pages are to be believed, you care deeply about reducing this kind of suffering. I look forward to the timely release of your audit.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Hello, my name is [Name] and I'm calling about your GeneXpert machine. Xpert test cartridges are sold for $8-$20, even though all available information and independent evaluations have suggested they can be sold for $5 and still leave a fair profit margin. This pricing scheme blocks access and hinders the fight against these diseases, leading to unnecessary deaths.

Over a year ago, your company committed to funding an independent audit of the manufacturing prices for your MTB/RIF cartridges. Even though you promised that the results of this audit would be released publicly, it still hasn't happened.

I’m calling to ask that you do the right thing and release the results of an independent audit now.

Thank you.