VENLO, The Netherlands, Sept. 22, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN N.V. (Nasdaq:QGEN) (Frankfurt:QIA) (the "Company") announces today the launch of a placement of up to 27.5 million newly issued common shares through a bookbuilding process (the "Offering"). In addition, the Company will grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to 4.125 million additional newly issued common shares solely to cover over-allotments, if any (such shares, together with the Offering shares referred to above, the "Shares").

The Shares will be offered in a global offering consisting of an international offering to certain institutional investors outside the United States and a registered offering in the United States. Pre-emptive rights of shareholders have been excluded for the Offering.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of this offering to fund the acquisition of DxS Ltd. announced on September 22, 2009 and potential future acquisitions, to strengthen its balance sheet and for general corporate purposes.

Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs International and J.P. Morgan will be acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners for the Offering. The offer price and number of Shares placed in the Offering will be determined based on the outcome of a bookbuilding process and will be stated in a pricing statement (the "Pricing Statement") which will be deposited with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (Stichting Autoriteit Financiele Markten; the "AFM") and announced by way of an ad-hoc announcement pursuant to Section 15 of the German Securities Trading Act. The order book will open on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 3.00 am EDT (9.00 am CET). The timing of the closing of the book will be determined at the absolute discretion of the Joint Bookrunners but it is currently envisaged for Thursday, September 24, 2009, 4.00 pm EDT (10.00 pm CET). Application has been made for admission to trading of the Shares on the regulated market (Regulierter Markt) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Prime Standard segment, and on NASDAQ Global Select Market. Subject to approval by the AFM, a prospectus relating to the listing of the Shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is expected to be published on or about September 23, 2009 by being made available to the public, free of charge, in printed form at the registered office of QIAGEN N.V., Spoorstraat 50, 5911 KJ Venlo, the Netherlands, fax: (+31)-77-320-8409; email: ir@qiagen.com and through the offices of the Joint Global Coordinators. Furthermore, a registration statement has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") today.

In connection with the Offering, Goldman Sachs International, as stabilising manager, or any of its agents, on behalf of the Joint Bookrunners and the other managers (the "Managers") in the Offering, may (but will be under no obligation to), to the extent permitted by applicable law, over-allot or effect other transactions which stabilise or maintain the market price of the Company's common shares or any options, warrants or rights with respect to, or interests in, the Company's common shares, in each case at a higher level than might otherwise prevail in the open market.