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QIAGEN and Institute for Animal Health Enter Partnership in Bluetongue Testing
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KJ VENLO, GERMANY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/06/08 --
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 hasentered into a worldwide exclusive partnership with the Institute forAnimal Health (IAH), a leading research and diagnostics institutionfor infectious diseases of farm animals. Pursuant to the agreementQIAGEN has licensed a novel molecular assay design for bluetongue, adevastating viral disease among ruminants such as sheep and cattle.The cador BTV RT-PCR Kit, which was developed by the IAH, will belaunched by QIAGEN in 2009 and further expand the company'sveterinary testing portfolio.
Bluetongue is caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV). It mainlyafflicts cattle and sheep which exhibit the highest morbidity andmortality rates reaching up to 70 percent. Since 1998, the diseasehas been rapidly spreading throughout Europe with outbreaks in mostcountries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece,Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and France. In 2008 alone, 16outbreaks of the disease have been registered across Europe.Currently authorities in the Netherlands and several other countriesin Europe are struggling to contain outbreaks caused by a BTV type 8,previously only found in Central and South America, and Africa. TheIAH estimates the potential economic impact of a major bluetongueoutbreak to exceed EUR 600 million in the U.K. alone - resulting fromincreased mortality rates, losses in milk production, export andanimal movement restrictions. Containment and therefore earlydetection tools are key to combat this disease.
The new cador BTV RT-PCR Kit allows fast and highly sensitivedetection of all 24 known strains of the bluetongue virus; includingBTV-6 which has caused the latest outbreak of the disease in theNetherlands, and BTV-1, which has spread from North Africa, up to thenorth coast of France, threatening the UK. Because many symptoms ofbluetongue are not specific to the disease, there is a growing demandfor reliable and fast laboratory tests which might help to containfuture outbreaks.
"The emergence and dissemination of new BTV strains currentlyobserved in Europe pose a serious threat to the agriculturalindustry. The new cador BTV RT-PCR can help to contain futureoutbreaks of the disease, and thereby minimize the risk of majoreconomic damage", explains Simone Gauch, Global Marketing DirectorApplied Testing at QIAGEN. "A major advantage of the test is that itdetects all known serotypes of the virus as well as variants fromdifferent parts of the world. The test can be used to testvaccinated animals, which are usually only protected against thelimited number of BTV types addressed by the vaccine, and thusanimals still need to be screened as soon as they exhibit anysymptoms. This has been impossible using traditional diagnosticmethods, because the antibodies present in vaccinated animals are toosimilar to antigens produced during a new infection. Moleculartesting solutions such as the cador BTV RT-PCR assay eliminate thisloophole."
"The combination of IAH know-how in bluetongue testing with QIAGEN'scutting-edge sample preparation and assay technologies creates a newpowerful diagnostic tool to quickly identify infected animals andthus help to contain bluetongue outbreaks that are likely to occur inthe future", said Prof. Peter Mertens, Head of the Arbovirus ResearchGroup at the IAH. "Given QIAGEN's track record in molecular testingand its global reach, the company was a partner of choice to bringthis technology to the international markets in order to fight thiscostly disease."
QIAGEN's veterinary testing business is organized as part of QIAGEN'sApplied Testing Section which also includes rapidly growingapplication areas such as forensics, biodefense, quality control andothers. In 2006, the company has entered into a licensing agreementwith the British Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), therebyallowing QIAGEN to enter the fast growing market for veterinary testswith validated assays. Today, QIAGEN's veterinary portfolioencompasses a broad range of sample and assay technologies, includingtests for Avian Flu, Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVDV) and Taylorellaequigenitalis.
About BTV
Bluetongue is a hemorrhagic viral disease affecting sheep, cattle andother ruminants. The disease spreads mainly via midges, which serveas carrier for the currently 24 known strains of the bluetonguevirus. Following an incubation period of 5 to 20 days, infectedanimals can exhibit symptoms such as fever, excessive loss of weightand swelling of the muzzle, eyelids and ears. The mucosal surfaces ofthe mouth become inflamed and ulcerated. The swellings can result ininsufficient oxygen supply to the affected tissues; the tonguethereby develops a characteristic blue or purple color that gives thedisease its name. The mortality rate depends on many factorsincluding the animal's breed, age, its health status and the strainof the virus. There is no treatment for bluetongue. Since 1998 thedistribution of BTV has changed significantly with multiple serotypesof the virus spreading across Europe and into the South-easternUnited States. These events have been linked to climate change andits effect on the insects (biting midges) involved in thetransmission of these viruses.
About IAH
The IAH delivers high quality fundamental, strategic and appliedscience focused on infectious diseases of farm animals. Thisknowledge is used to advance veterinary science, and to enhance thesustainability of livestock farming. In addition to research outputthe IAH provides diagnostic services for a number of diseases andgive expert advice to the UK government and international agencies.IAH is the diagnostic laboratory for bluetongue in the UK, and is theReference Laboratory for bluetongue for the EU and the WorldOrganisation for Animal Health (OIE). More information can be foundat http://www.iah.ac.uk.
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is theleading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sampletechnologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteinsfrom biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologiesare used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN hasdeveloped and markets more than 500 consumable products as well asautomated solutions for such consumables. The company provides itsproducts to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers,pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and appliedtesting customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or foodtesting and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN's assaytechnologies include one of the broadest panels of moleculardiagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the onlyFDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary causeof cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,800 people in over 30locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found atwww.qiagen.com.
Certain of the statements contained in this news release may beconsidered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21Eof the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To theextent that any of the statements contained herein relating toQIAGEN's products, markets, strategy or operating results areforward-looking, such statements are based on current expectationsthat involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertaintiesand risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated withmanagement of growth and international operations (including theeffects of currency fluctuations and risks of dependency onlogistics), variability of operating results, the commercialdevelopment of the applied testing markets, clinical research marketsand proteomics markets, women's health/HPV testing markets, nucleicacid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination andgene therapy markets, changing relationships with customers,suppliers and strategic partners, competition, rapid or unexpectedchanges in technologies, fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's,products (including fluctuations due to the level and timing ofcustomers' funding, budgets, and other factors), our ability toobtain regulatory approval of our infectious disease panels,difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integratedsolutions and producing such products, the ability of QIAGEN toidentify and develop new products and to differentiate its productsfrom competitors' products, market acceptance of QIAGEN's newproducts and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses.For further information, refer to the discussions in reports thatQIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities andExchange Commission (SEC).
Contacts:QIAGENPublic Relations Investor RelationsDr. Thomas Theuringer Dr. Solveigh MählerTel: +49-2103-29-11826 Tel.: +49-2103-29-11710Email: pr@qiagen.com Email: ir@qiagen.com
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer issolely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Copyright © Hugin AS 2008. All rights reserved.
Venlo, The Netherlands - November 6, 2008 - QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) has announced today that it hasentered into a worldwide exclusive partnership with the Institute forAnimal Health (IAH), a leading research and diagnostics institutionfor infectious diseases of farm animals. Pursuant to the agreementQIAGEN has licensed a novel molecular assay design for bluetongue, adevastating viral disease among ruminants such as sheep and cattle.The cador BTV RT-PCR Kit, which was developed by the IAH, will belaunched by QIAGEN in 2009 and further expand the company'sveterinary testing portfolio.
Bluetongue is caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV). It mainlyafflicts cattle and sheep which exhibit the highest morbidity andmortality rates reaching up to 70 percent. Since 1998, the diseasehas been rapidly spreading throughout Europe with outbreaks in mostcountries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece,Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and France. In 2008 alone, 16outbreaks of the disease have been registered across Europe.Currently authorities in the Netherlands and several other countriesin Europe are struggling to contain outbreaks caused by a BTV type 8,previously only found in Central and South America, and Africa. TheIAH estimates the potential economic impact of a major bluetongueoutbreak to exceed EUR 600 million in the U.K. alone - resulting fromincreased mortality rates, losses in milk production, export andanimal movement restrictions. Containment and therefore earlydetection tools are key to combat this disease.
The new cador BTV RT-PCR Kit allows fast and highly sensitivedetection of all 24 known strains of the bluetongue virus; includingBTV-6 which has caused the latest outbreak of the disease in theNetherlands, and BTV-1, which has spread from North Africa, up to thenorth coast of France, threatening the UK. Because many symptoms ofbluetongue are not specific to the disease, there is a growing demandfor reliable and fast laboratory tests which might help to containfuture outbreaks.
"The emergence and dissemination of new BTV strains currentlyobserved in Europe pose a serious threat to the agriculturalindustry. The new cador BTV RT-PCR can help to contain futureoutbreaks of the disease, and thereby minimize the risk of majoreconomic damage", explains Simone Gauch, Global Marketing DirectorApplied Testing at QIAGEN. "A major advantage of the test is that itdetects all known serotypes of the virus as well as variants fromdifferent parts of the world. The test can be used to testvaccinated animals, which are usually only protected against thelimited number of BTV types addressed by the vaccine, and thusanimals still need to be screened as soon as they exhibit anysymptoms. This has been impossible using traditional diagnosticmethods, because the antibodies present in vaccinated animals are toosimilar to antigens produced during a new infection. Moleculartesting solutions such as the cador BTV RT-PCR assay eliminate thisloophole."
"The combination of IAH know-how in bluetongue testing with QIAGEN'scutting-edge sample preparation and assay technologies creates a newpowerful diagnostic tool to quickly identify infected animals andthus help to contain bluetongue outbreaks that are likely to occur inthe future", said Prof. Peter Mertens, Head of the Arbovirus ResearchGroup at the IAH. "Given QIAGEN's track record in molecular testingand its global reach, the company was a partner of choice to bringthis technology to the international markets in order to fight thiscostly disease."
QIAGEN's veterinary testing business is organized as part of QIAGEN'sApplied Testing Section which also includes rapidly growingapplication areas such as forensics, biodefense, quality control andothers. In 2006, the company has entered into a licensing agreementwith the British Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), therebyallowing QIAGEN to enter the fast growing market for veterinary testswith validated assays. Today, QIAGEN's veterinary portfolioencompasses a broad range of sample and assay technologies, includingtests for Avian Flu, Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVDV) and Taylorellaequigenitalis.
About BTV
Bluetongue is a hemorrhagic viral disease affecting sheep, cattle andother ruminants. The disease spreads mainly via midges, which serveas carrier for the currently 24 known strains of the bluetonguevirus. Following an incubation period of 5 to 20 days, infectedanimals can exhibit symptoms such as fever, excessive loss of weightand swelling of the muzzle, eyelids and ears. The mucosal surfaces ofthe mouth become inflamed and ulcerated. The swellings can result ininsufficient oxygen supply to the affected tissues; the tonguethereby develops a characteristic blue or purple color that gives thedisease its name. The mortality rate depends on many factorsincluding the animal's breed, age, its health status and the strainof the virus. There is no treatment for bluetongue. Since 1998 thedistribution of BTV has changed significantly with multiple serotypesof the virus spreading across Europe and into the South-easternUnited States. These events have been linked to climate change andits effect on the insects (biting midges) involved in thetransmission of these viruses.
About IAH
The IAH delivers high quality fundamental, strategic and appliedscience focused on infectious diseases of farm animals. Thisknowledge is used to advance veterinary science, and to enhance thesustainability of livestock farming. In addition to research outputthe IAH provides diagnostic services for a number of diseases andgive expert advice to the UK government and international agencies.IAH is the diagnostic laboratory for bluetongue in the UK, and is theReference Laboratory for bluetongue for the EU and the WorldOrganisation for Animal Health (OIE). More information can be foundat http://www.iah.ac.uk.
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is theleading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sampletechnologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteinsfrom biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologiesare used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN hasdeveloped and markets more than 500 consumable products as well asautomated solutions for such consumables. The company provides itsproducts to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers,pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and appliedtesting customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or foodtesting and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN's assaytechnologies include one of the broadest panels of moleculardiagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the onlyFDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary causeof cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,800 people in over 30locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found atwww.qiagen.com.
Certain of the statements contained in this news release may beconsidered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21Eof the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To theextent that any of the statements contained herein relating toQIAGEN's products, markets, strategy or operating results areforward-looking, such statements are based on current expectationsthat involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertaintiesand risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated withmanagement of growth and international operations (including theeffects of currency fluctuations and risks of dependency onlogistics), variability of operating results, the commercialdevelopment of the applied testing markets, clinical research marketsand proteomics markets, women's health/HPV testing markets, nucleicacid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination andgene therapy markets, changing relationships with customers,suppliers and strategic partners, competition, rapid or unexpectedchanges in technologies, fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's,products (including fluctuations due to the level and timing ofcustomers' funding, budgets, and other factors), our ability toobtain regulatory approval of our infectious disease panels,difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integratedsolutions and producing such products, the ability of QIAGEN toidentify and develop new products and to differentiate its productsfrom competitors' products, market acceptance of QIAGEN's newproducts and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses.For further information, refer to the discussions in reports thatQIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities andExchange Commission (SEC).
Contacts:QIAGENPublic Relations Investor RelationsDr. Thomas Theuringer Dr. Solveigh MählerTel: +49-2103-29-11826 Tel.: +49-2103-29-11710Email: pr@qiagen.com Email: ir@qiagen.com
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer issolely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Copyright © Hugin AS 2008. All rights reserved.
For more information, go to www.marketwire.com
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