QIAGEN Adds Novel Technology for Haplotype Specific Extraction

02/14/05 -- QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGENF; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA), the world's leading provider of innovative enabling technologies and products for the separation, purification and handling of nucleic acids and proteins today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary GenoVision Inc. has licensed a novel technology for haplotype specific extraction of DNA (HSE) from Generation Biotech, LLC, a privately held company based in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Under the terms of the license agreement QIAGEN's wholly owned subsidiary received exclusive rights for the worldwide commercialization of HSE in all applications.

QIAGEN believes that this technology provides a significant new dimension in increased resolution and quality of genetic analysis in diagnostics. It addresses an increasingly important, previously unmet need. This novel preanalytical technology has been validated for use in concert with a suite of QIAGEN's leading magnetic bead-based and automated DNA purification solutions.

Many diseases and differences in patients' drug respond rates are related to mutations on several genes of the genome. The exact determination of mutations located either on the same chromosome or on different chromosomes is of highest importance in areas such as clinical prognosis of diseases, HLA typing prior to transplantations, pharmacogenomics and oncology testing. Using a proprietary and validated approach developed at Princeton University and Generation Biotech, the licensed Haplotype Specific Extraction (HSE) method physically separates DNA into its maternal and paternal alleles and enables clinicians and researchers in academic and clinical research and molecular diagnostics to determine the exact location of a mutation on both copies of the genome. This allows a significant new dimension of quality in terms of the information generated in the analysis.

"We are very excited about this innovative technology," said Nancy Murphy, QIAGEN's Director Commercial Development and Content with GenoVision. "Haplotype Specific Extraction enables us to enter the next step of standardization in preanalytical sample preparation for clinical research and molecular diagnostics and extends our broad technology portfolio in the field of HLA typing, disease-causing mutations and genetic differences based on single nucleotide polymorphism."

About HSE:

Higher organisms including human beings have a diploid genome. They possess two nearly identical copies of each gene from each parent which means that in some cases one copy of a defective gene is of no consequence to the individual given that the other copy of the gene is properly functional and could provide the correct information to the organism. Today it is very well known that most diseases, cell functions and differences in patient's drug response rates are related to different mutations on different genes of the genome. The precise determination of mutations on the same chromosome or on different chromosomes can be important in the clinical prognosis of diseases, HLA typing with transplantations, pharmacogenomics or oncology testing. The Haplotype Specific Extraction (HSE) method physically separates DNA into its haploid components by exploiting the heterozygous differences between gene variants and enables clinicians and researchers to determine the exact location of a mutation on both haploid copies of the genome.

Haplotype Specific Extraction products are based on magnetic bead technology with specific sequences binding specifically to one haplotype of the gene and separating it from the other. The haplotype of the DNA separated with HSE can be directly purified with QIAGEN's products for separating, purification and handling of nucleic acids.

About QIAGEN:

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy, Australia, Norway, Austria, Canada, and the Netherlands believes it is the world's leading provider of innovative enabling technologies and products for the separation, purification and handling of nucleic acids and proteins. QIAGEN has developed a comprehensive portfolio of more than 320 proprietary, consumable products for nucleic acid and protein separation, purification and handling, nucleic acid amplification, as well as automated instrumentation, synthetic nucleic acid products and related services. QIAGEN's products are sold in more than 42 countries throughout the world to academic research markets and to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition, QIAGEN is positioning its products for sale into developing commercial markets, including DNA sequencing and

genomics, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy. QIAGEN employs approximately 1,400 people worldwide. Further information on 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 DNA sequencing, genomics and proteomics markets, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets, competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including seasonal fluctuations), 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, market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquisitions of technologies and businesses. For further information, refer to the discussion in reports that QIAGEN has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Source: Qiagen N.V