The Legacy and Leadership of Dave Persing in Molecular Diagnostics

As Dave Persing, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, and Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, approaches his retirement from Cepheid, we would like to honor his legacy and leadership to the field of molecular diagnostics

Early Career

Dr. Persing is a 33-year veteran of the molecular diagnostics field focused on biomarker discovery, translational medicine, and innovation in the diagnostics space. 

He has long been an advocate for the democratization of diagnostics, which means making high-tech medical advances readily available, even in the most rural villages of low—and middle-income countries. He co-authored the first textbook on molecular testing and over 300 peer-reviewed articles and reviews, including multiple high-impact publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Dr. Persing made his first contribution to molecular diagnostics early in his career. In 1990, he designed, built, and directed the first infectious disease PCR reference lab at the Mayo Clinic. After a 10-year tenure there, he entered “industry” and continued to build his reputation as a game-changer in the field of molecular diagnostics.

Persing’s Cepheid Career

Since he joined Cepheid in 2004, Dr. Persing has made an incredible impact on shaping the technology and direction of Cepheid and later Danaher, enabling the companies to evolve diagnostic testing capabilities and broadly reshape the molecular infectious disease diagnostics space. Dr. Persing has worked on tests for diseases caused by bacteria, like mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and MRSA, as well as those caused by viruses, including HIV, influenza, COVID-19, and hepatitis C.

Significant contributions to global health led by Dr. Persing during his time at Cepheid include the following milestones:

Tuberculosis Diagnosis

In 2010, with Dr. Persing’s guidance, Cepheid launched Xpert® MTB/RIF — widely heralded as the major game changer for TB diagnosis around the world. Xpert MTB/RIF provides fast and accurate detection of MTB and Rifampicin (RIF) resistance simultaneously from patient samples.

Impact on the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cepheid’s test became the first point-of-care diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, allowing doctors in hospitals, clinics and emergency rooms test a sample for the disease in about 45 minutes.

“We started within a few days of getting the sequences (of the coronavirus) and that led to the initiation of a formal project in February, including a pretty sizable team to adapt our Flu/RSV assay to detect SARS-CoV-2,” Persing said. Just seven weeks after starting the project, Cepheid earned an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA, which was the first on-demand, point-of-care RT-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 test to receive Emergency Use Authorization.

Role in Bringing HCV POC Testing to the U.S.

Xpert HCV VL Fingerstick was launched outside the U.S. in 2018 to support the fight to eliminate the Hepatitis C virus internationally and has since been estimated to have saved tens of thousands of lives and was a major step forward in global health equity. 

In January 2023, Dr. Persing was approached by Dr. Francis Collins at the White House about bringing a point-of-care test for HCV to the U.S.. Dr. Persing led collaborative efforts with federal partners to facilitate a seven-month timeline from project initiation to FDA approval and product launch.  His vision and leadership directly impacted the success of this project that will bring testing to populations that need it most, in the settings in which they need it, and will help eliminate a deadly but curable disease that has been on the rise in the U.S. for nearly a decade.  

Under Dr. Persing’s leadership, Cepheid launched Xpert HCV on June 27, 2024 with an FDA De Novo marketing authorization and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Waiver. Xpert HCV is the first CLIA waived test approved in the U.S. to detect hepatitis C virus RNA directly from a human capillary whole blood (fingerstick) sample at the point of care, enabling single-visit testing and treatment for Hepatitis C.²

Legacy to Molecular Diagnostics

Underscoring the science is Dr. Persing’s commitment to the patient, ensuring people worldwide have access to diagnostic testing. “As I reflect on this important milestone of retirement, I couldn’t be prouder of my contributions to the democratization of molecular diagnostic methods,” he said. 

We appreciate Dr. Persing’s longstanding commitment and contributions to the testing and diagnostics fields as he retires from Cepheid in September 2024. 

As he approaches his retirement from Cepheid, Dr. Persing has been nominated for the esteemed California Life Sciences Pantheon Awards in the Leadership category this year. The Pantheon Awards celebrate the achievements of leading life sciences innovators representing therapeutic, diagnostic, medical device, and industrial biotechnology companies.

In honor of his legacy, cast your nomination for Dr. Persing in the California Life Sciences Pantheon Award -- Leadership Category here.