VENLO, The Netherlands, May 31, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN N.V. (Nasdaq:QGEN) (Frankfurt:QIA), the worldwide leading provider of sample and assay technologies for research in life sciences, applied testing and molecular diagnostics today announced that it has entered into a license and marketing agreement with Biomatrica, Inc. providing for the distribution of Biomatrica's room temperature DNA storage technology. The agreement significantly expands QIAGEN's ability to provide complete solutions for biological sample storage and sample management systems for all target markets. Detailed financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement provides QIAGEN with exclusive marketing rights for Biomatrica's existing products for the storage of purified DNA. In addition, during the course of the strategic partnership Biomatrica's SampleMatrix technology and QIAGEN's exclusive rights are expected to be expanded for uses including the stabilization, shipping and storage of DNA molecules in blood and buccal swab samples for subsequent purification of the stabilized DNA for any kind of downstream application and for use in all markets. The existing and to be developed or custom-designed products will be manufactured by Biomatrica and exclusively marketed and sold by QIAGEN. As part of this agreement, QIAGEN will pay Biomatrica an initial fee, development milestone payments, commission, and royalties.
Biomatrica has developed a sample storage system that is based on its SampleMatrix technology which combines the natural principles of anhydrobiosis with synthetic chemistry. Biomatrica's SampleMatrix technology significantly simplifies collection, processing and storage of biological samples at room temperature by forming a protective seal around biomolecules. Samples can be accessed through simple rehydration, dissolving the SampleMatrix within minutes allowing total recovery of the biological material for use in any downstream application in genomic research, forensic, bio-banking, pharmacogenomics and molecular testing without purification. In addition, the product offering includes affordable sample management software, offering scalable solutions for customers in low and high-throughput laboratories and biobanking databases.
Biomatrica's SampleMatrix technology is highly synergistic with QIAGEN's sample preparation portfolio. The addition of Biomatrica's sample storage system has the potential to broaden QIAGEN's value proposition for its customers in key markets of academic and pharmaceutical research as well as in applied testing and molecular diagnostics. Nucleic acids stored with Biomatrica's SampleMatrix technology and purified with QIAGEN's sample preparation products are well suited for downstream applications such as QIAGEN's PCR-based genotyping, molecular testing products and comparative genomic studies.
"As evidenced by significant internal and partnered initiatives, QIAGEN sees significant value in a broad and deep portfolio in stabilization and storage solutions for biological samples. We are pleased to today announce a significant, synergistic expansion to our leadership position in this area," said Peer M. Schatz, QIAGEN's Chief Executive Officer. "The SampleMatrix technology uses fascinating principles of nature for stabilizing biomolecules which then can be shipped and even stored at room temperature to be used in conjunction with a wide range of subsequent purification procedures and analytical processes. QIAGEN's technology and marketing power, together with the development capabilities and know-how and intellectual property rights of Biomatrica, provide the basis for a very strong, successful strategic partnership to market and develop products and methods which leverage QIAGEN's sample technology and assay leadership."
"The strategic partnership with QIAGEN is the ideal arrangement for the marketing of Biomatrica's new and cost-effective products for DNA stabilization. The partnership is highly synergistic, combining Biomatrica's know-how in biostabilization and manufacturing, and QIAGEN's marketing power and reach into all fields of the research and forensic communities," said Judy Muller-Cohn, Biomatrica's Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. "The Biomatrica-QIAGEN relationship gives Biomatrica's products a stamp of approval from the market leader in quality DNA products," said Rolf Muller, Biomatrica's Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder.
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the leading provider of innovative sample and assay technologies and products. QIAGEN's products are considered standards in areas such as pre-analytical sample preparation and assay solutions in research for life sciences, applied testing and molecular diagnostics. QIAGEN has developed a comprehensive portfolio of more than 500 proprietary, consumable products and automated solutions for sample collection, nucleic acid and protein handling, separation, and purification and open and target-specific assays. The company's products are sold to academic research markets, to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, to applied testing customers (such as in forensics, veterinary, biodefense and industrial applications) as well as to molecular diagnostics laboratories. QIAGEN employs more than 1,900 people worldwide. QIAGEN products are sold through a dedicated sales force and a global network of distributors in more than 40 countries. In this press release QIAGEN is using the term molecular diagnostics. The use of this term is in reference to certain countries, such as the United States, limited to products subject to regulatory requirements. Current QIAGEN molecular diagnostics products are 34 EU CE IVD assays, six EU CE IVD sample preparation products, one 510k PAX RNA product, nine China SFDA IVD assays and 98 general purpose reagents. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at www.qiagen.com.
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About Biomatrica:
Biomatrica, Inc. is a biostability company providing innovative sample transportation, processing, storage, and organization solutions for the life sciences. Biomatrica's proprietary platform technology is based on SampleMatrix(tm) for long-term storage of biological samples at room temperature. Combined with easy-to-use SampleWare(tm) management software, Biomatrica's cost and energy-saving technology has broad applications for life science organizations, from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, to academic and forensics laboratories. SampleMatrix(tm) products provide the ideal solution for stabilizing biologically active samples against degradation at room temperature while eliminating costly or inconvenient traditional cold storage formats. Biomatrica is currently selling SampleMatrix(tm) DNA storage kits, optimized for genomic, plasmids, oligonucleotides and PCR DNA products. New products in development include room temperature storage of RNA, proteins and cells and customization of formulations for commercial products. Further information about Biomatrica can be found at www.biomatrica.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, 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 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).