VENLO, THE NETHERLANDS, Sep. 17, 2009 (Marketwire) --
VENLO, THE NETHERLANDS -- (Marketwire) -- 09/17/09 --
Expanded IP portfolio includes rapidly growing HRM applications for all markets and applications
Venlo, The Netherlands, September 17, 2009 --- QIAGEN (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA), today announced that it has acquired additional licenses from Roche (SWISS: RO) (SWISS: ROG) (OTCQX: RHHBY) and Idaho Technology related to the use of instrumentation and reagents for PCR-based molecular testing. Financial details were not disclosed.
The agreements cover thermal cycler rights and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for diagnostics and all other applications. In addition, the agreements also cover rights for "high resolution melting curve analysis" (HRM) technology. This novel PCR technology, which is well leveraged by QIAGEN's detection platform Rotor-Gene(TM) Q, opens up a broad array of applications such as mutation discovery, pathogen detection and methylation analysis, as it adds a further information dimension into traditional real time PCR.
With these agreements QIAGEN becomes the first Idaho Technology/ Roche licensee to have full freedom to offer HRM related instruments and reagents under license in all formats and for all purposes in research and diagnostics worldwide. The agreements complement previous settlement arrangements following QIAGEN's 2008 acquisition of Australian PCR cycler manufacturer Corbett.
"This additional IP portfolio enables us to develop and market PCR solutions based on of the most advanced technologies for molecular diagnostics. HRM allows additional differentiation for genotyping and can be extremely well leveraged on our Rotor-Gene(TM) Q HRM instrument", said Achim Ribbe, Executive Director Business Development for QIAGEN. "We now have a PCR intellectual property estate that we believe is truly unique. It puts us in the position to offer our customers in molecular diagnostics, pharma, applied testing and life science research the latest PCR technology running on the most versatile platform and covering all markets and fields, including human in vitro diagnostics."
QIAGEN also announced it has already launched and is currently releasing new HRM products capitalizing on the complete license portfolio as well as QIAGEN's own intellectual property, including a range of HRM PCR Kits and a new software solution for HRM based genotyping. The Company is preparing submissions of the Rotor-Gene Q and related sample and assay technologies for regulatory approval in both the US and Europe.
About Thermal Cyclers and PCR:
Thermal cyclers are the key instruments for performing polymerase chain reactions (PCR).
