QIAGEN and Roche Settle Dispute Over Distribution Agreement for TheraScreen Companion Diagnostics
GERMANTOWN, Maryland and HILDEN, Germany, May 26, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN [ http://quotes.nasdaq.com/asp/SummaryQuote.asp?symbol=QGEN&selected=QGEN ]; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA [ http://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/DE/index.aspx?pageID=35&ISIN=NL0000240000 ]) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Roche Molecular Systems Inc., a unit of Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX [ http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ROG.VX ]), resolving a dispute over distribution rights for a set of companion diagnostic products developed and manufactured by QIAGEN's Manchester subsidiary DxS Ltd. Subsequently, the parties withdrew their claims filed against one another in the action that was pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche maintained its rights to
distribute the two assays it currently distributes (KRAS and EGFR) under the
DxS TheraScreen(R) label and, under certain conditions, to distribute future
versions thereof. QIAGEN obtained rights to distribute these assays under the
QIAGEN label and also obtained exclusive distribution rights for all other
assays, including future assays, developed and manufactured at QIAGEN’s
for the assays it distributes. QIAGEN also granted Roche the option to extend
the term of the distribution agreement for one of the assays, the
TheraScreen(R) EGFR assay, beyond the term of this agreement which ends in
2011.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Roche”, said
Schatz
QIAGEN’s pioneering TheraScreen(R) companion diagnostics. Companion
diagnostics help physicians to customize therapies, greatly reduce healthcare
costs and prevent harmful treatments for patients suffering from serious
diseases.”
“We are pleased to maintain our distribution agreement and to continue to
provide access to DxS TheraScreen companion diagnostics that have the
potential to improve cancer patient care,” said
and CEO of Roche Molecular Systems.
Background:
Personalized healthcare approaches are based on patients’ molecular
profiles and already play an increasingly important role for the treatment of
cardiovascular and neurological diseases and – most prominently – cancer. The
number of molecular markers for various therapies and indications has been
increasing steadily. Today, there are already 32 genomic biomarkers
identified by FDA in the context of FDA-approved drug labels. In the last ten
years the market for personalized healthcare drugs exceeded
reflecting a CAGR of 24%.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a
provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to
isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as
blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated
bio-molecules visible. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 sample
and assay products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. The
company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic
researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing
customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and
pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN’s assay technologies include one of
the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide. This
panel includes the digene HPV Test, which is regarded as a “gold standard” in
testing for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause
of cervical cancer, as well as a broad suite of solutions for infectious
disease testing and companion diagnostics. QIAGEN employs more than 3,500
people in over 30 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can
be found at http://www.qiagen.com/.
About Roche
Headquartered in
research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and
diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly
differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and
CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based
cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche’s personalized
healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that
enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of
patients. In 2009, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested
almost
Swiss francs
Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical,
information: http://www.roche.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).
Contacts:
Investor Relations QIAGEN:
Dr. Solveigh Mahler
Director Investor Relations
QIAGEN N.V.
+49-2103-29-11710
e-mail: solveigh.maehler@qiagen.com
Albert F. Fleury
Investor Relations North America
QIAGEN N.V.
+1-301-944-7028
e-mail: albert.fleury@qiagen.com
Public Relations QIAGEN:
Dr. Thomas Theuringer
Director Public Relations
QIAGEN GmbH
+49-2103-29-11826
email: thomas.theuringer@qiagen.com
For US Media, Roche Molecular Systems:
Karin Bauer
Corporate Communications
Roche Molecular Systems
Pleasanton, California
+1-925-730-8114
email: karin.bauer.kb2@roche.com
For EU Media, Roche:
Claudia Schmitt
Corporate Communications
Roche
Basel, Switzerland
+41-61-688-8888
claudia.schmitt.cs2@roche.com
SOURCE Qiagen