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Qiagen N.V. (FRA:QIA) Worldwide license agreement expands the Company's veterinary assay portfolio and aims to contain future outbreaks of the devastating viral disease
Venlo, The Netherlands - November 6, 2008 - QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) has announced today that it has entered into a worldwide exclusive partnership with the Institute for Animal Health (IAH), a leading research and diagnostics institution for infectious diseases of farm animals. Pursuant to the agreement QIAGEN has licensed a novel molecular assay design for bluetongue, a devastating viral disease among ruminants such as sheep and cattle. The cador BTV RT-PCR Kit, which was developed by the IAH, will be launched by QIAGEN in 2009 and further expand the company's veterinary testing portfolio.
Bluetongue is caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV). It mainly afflicts cattle and sheep which exhibit the highest morbidity and mortality rates reaching up to 70 percent. Since 1998, the disease has been rapidly spreading throughout Europe with outbreaks in most countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and France. In 2008 alone, 16 outbreaks of the disease have been registered across Europe. Currently authorities in the Netherlands and several other countries in Europe are struggling to contain outbreaks caused by a BTV type 8, previously only found in Central and South America, and Africa. The IAH estimates the potential economic impact of a major bluetongue outbreak to exceed € 600 million in the U.K. alone - resulting from increased mortality rates, losses in milk production, export and animal movement restrictions. Containment and therefore early detection tools are key to combat this disease.
The new cador BTV RT-PCR Kit allows fast and highly sensitive detection of all 24 known strains of the bluetongue virus; including BTV-6 which has caused the latest outbreak of the disease in the Netherlands, and BTV-1, which has spread from North Africa, up to the north coast of France, threatening the UK. Because many symptoms of bluetongue are not specific to the disease, there is a growing demand for reliable and fast laboratory tests which might help to contain future outbreaks.
"The emergence and dissemination of new BTV strains currently observed in Europe pose a serious threat to the agricultural industry. The new cador BTV RT-PCR can help to contain future outbreaks of the disease, and thereby minimize the risk of major economic damage", explains Simone Gauch, Global Marketing Director Applied Testing at QIAGEN. "A major advantage of the test is that it detects all known serotypes of the virus as well as variants from different parts of the world. The test can be used to test vaccinated animals, which are usually only protected against the limited number of BTV types addressed by the vaccine, and thus animals still need to be screened as soon as they exhibit any symptoms. This has been impossible using traditional diagnostic methods, because the antibodies present in vaccinated animals are too similar to antigens produced during a new infection. Molecular testing solutions such as the cador BTV RT-PCR assay eliminate this loophole."
"The combination of IAH know-how in bluetongue testing with QIAGEN's cutting-edge sample preparation and assay technologies creates a new powerful diagnostic tool to quickly identify infected animals and thus help to contain bluetongue outbreaks that are likely to occur in the future", said Prof. Peter Mertens, Head of the Arbovirus Research Group at the IAH. "Given QIAGEN's track record in molecular testing and its global reach, the company was a partner of choice to bring this technology to the international markets in order to fight this costly disease."
QIAGEN's veterinary testing business is organized as part of QIAGEN's Applied Testing Section which also includes rapidly growing application areas such as forensics, biodefense, quality control and others. In 2006, the company has entered into a licensing agreement with the British Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), thereby allowing QIAGEN to enter the fast growing market for veterinary tests with validated assays. Today, QIAGEN's veterinary portfolio encompasses a broad range of sample and assay technologies, including tests for Avian Flu, Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVDV) and Taylorella equigenitalis.
About BTV Bluetongue is a hemorrhagic viral disease affecting sheep, cattle and other ruminants. The disease spreads mainly via midges, which serve as carrier for the currently 24 known strains of the bluetongue virus. Following an incubation period of 5 to 20 days, infected animals can exhibit symptoms such as fever, excessive loss of weight and swelling of the muzzle, eyelids and ears. The mucosal surfaces of the mouth become inflamed and ulcerated. The swellings can result in insufficient oxygen supply to the affected tissues; the tongue thereby develops a characteristic blue or purple color that gives the disease its name. The mortality rate depends on many factors including the animal's breed, age, its health status and the strain of the virus. There is no treatment for bluetongue. Since 1998 the distribution of BTV has changed significantly with multiple serotypes of the virus spreading across Europe and into the South-eastern United States. These events have been linked to climate change and its effect on the insects (biting midges) involved in the transmission of these viruses.
About IAH The IAH delivers high quality fundamental, strategic and applied science focused on infectious diseases of farm animals. This knowledge is used to advance veterinary science, and to enhance the sustainability of livestock farming. In addition to research output the IAH provides diagnostic services for a number of diseases and give expert advice to the UK government and international agencies. IAH is the diagnostic laboratory for bluetongue in the UK, and is the Reference Laboratory for bluetongue for the EU and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). More information can be found at http://www.iah.ac.uk.
About QIAGEN: QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the leading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 consumable products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. The company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN's assay technologies include one of the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the only FDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,800 people in over 30 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at www.qiagen.com.
Certain of the statements contained in this news release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, markets, strategy or operating results are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations and risks of dependency on logistics), variability of operating results, the commercial development of the applied testing markets, clinical research markets and proteomics markets, women's health/HPV testing markets, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets, changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners, competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's, products (including fluctuations due to the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets, and other factors), our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our infectious disease panels, difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products, the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate its products from competitors' products, market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses. For further information, refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Contacts:
QIAGEN Public Relations Investor Relations Dr. Thomas Theuringer Dr. Solveigh Mähler Tel: +49-2103-29-11826 Tel.: +49-2103-29-11710 Email: pr@qiagen.com Email: ir@qiagen.com
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