QIAGEN and BioHelix Enter Into Licensing Agreement

Corporate news announcement processed and transmitted by Hugin ASA.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this 
announcement. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------    



Corporate news announcement processed and transmitted by Hugin ASA.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this 
announcement. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------    




 Helicase-dependent isothermal DNA amplification system provides new
assay technology capabilities for QIAGEN's assay automation platforms
 
Venlo, The Netherlands, and Beverly, Massachusetts, - April 30,  2008
- QIAGEN (Nasdaq: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) and privately
held BioHelix  have announced  today that  they have  entered into  a
non-exclusive worldwide license and  supply agreement for  BioHelix's
proprietary Helicase Dependent Amplification technology (HDA). HDA is
a versatile assay technology to detect and analyze biological  target
molecules such as DNA and  RNA by amplifying target specific  genetic
information with the  highest level of  sensitivity and  specificity.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
 
This licensing agreement adds  a further amplification technology  to
QIAGEN's broad  intellectual  property estate  of  amplification  and
assay  technologies  that  includes  numerous  PCR  and   PCR-similar
technologies  as  well  as   technologies  such  as  rolling   circle
amplification (RCA)  and  whole  genome/transcriptome  amplification.
These technologies are  selected depending upon  aspects such as  the
targeted setting, system and performance.
 
Unlike conventional amplification technologies such as the polymerase
chain reaction (PCR),  which requires thermocycling,  HDA works at  a
constant temperature,  eliminating the  need for  complex and  costly
instrumentation. In addition HDA technology offers a simple  reaction
workflow and a  user-friendly assay design  process. Two primers  are
used to  flank the  DNA fragment  to be  amplified, thereby  allowing
simple and  rapid development  of  new single-plex  and/or  multiplex
assays for  use  in  research,  pharmaceutical  development,  applied
markets or molecular diagnostics.
 
HDA is  compatible  with multiple  detection  technologies  including
qualitative or quantitative  fluorescent detection technologies,  and
also with instrumentation  designed for use  with real-time PCR.  The
technology is also compatible with QIAGEN's suite of  next-generation
Hybrid Capture(TM) detection platforms, which includes an  ultra-high
throughput instrument designed for use with assays including QIAGEN's
next generation  HPV  assay to  test  for human  papillomavirus,  the
primary cause of cervical cancer. By combining the HDA platform  with
other  assay   technologies   including   QIAGEN's   hybrid   capture
technology,  the  most  important  tests  in  women's  health,  human
papillomavirus  (HPV),  chlamydia  trachomatis  (CT)  and   neisseria
gonorrhoeae (GC) can be  run using a single  instrument and a  single
specimen.
 
Furthermore, HDA has shown potential  for the development of  simple,
portable DNA diagnostic  devices to be  used in the  field or at  the
point-of-care.
 
"We are  excited  about  the  opportunities  coming  along  with  HDA
technology," said  Jim  Godsey,  Senior  Vice  President  Research  &
Development North America for QIAGEN. "The ability to amplify DNA  or
RNA using an isothermal amplification system opens up a wide field of
new  assays  in  many  areas,   in  particular  in  human   molecular
diagnostics and applied testing."
 
"We are  extremely excited  about the  global reach  and  development
capabilities of  QIAGEN as  a partner.   This license  validates  the
utility of  our  technology while  further  enhancing our  plans  for
growth," said Dr. Huimin  Kong, inventor of HDA  and CEO of  BioHelix
Corporation.  
 
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN   N.V.,    a    Netherlands   holding    company,    is    the
leading global 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  biomolecules visible.  QIAGEN  has
developed and markets more  than 500 consumable  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  only
FDA-approved test for human  papillomavirus (HPV), the primary  cause
of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,700 people in over  30
locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at
www.qiagen.com.
 
About BioHelix Corp.:
BioHelix Corporation, a privately held diagnostics company located in
Beverly,   Massachusetts,   specializes   in   the   development   of
next-generation diagnostic  solutions and  nucleic acid  tests  based
upon their isothermal HDA platform  for infectious diseases, such  as
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus  aureus (MRSA),  Herpes  Simplex
Virus, and for genetic diseases. The company's mission is to  improve
the quality of healthcare through the development of simple molecular
tests for  the  near patient  setting,  wherein rapid  solutions  are
necessary for  prompt  medical intervention.  Additional  information
about BioHelix Corporation is available at www.biohelix.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, women's  health/HPV testing markets,  nucleic
acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination  and
gene  therapy   markets,  changing   relationships  with   customers,
suppliers and strategic  partners, 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).
                                 ###


 
--- End of Message ---

Qiagen N.V.
Spoorstraat 50 KJ Venlo Netherlands

WKN: 901626; ISIN: 
NL0000240000; Index: HDAX, MIDCAP, Prime All Share, TECH All Share, 
TecDAX;
Listed: Prime Standard in Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse, Freiverkehr in 
Börse Berlin, 
Freiverkehr in Börse Düsseldorf, Freiverkehr in Hanseatische 
Wertpapierbörse zu Hamburg, 
Freiverkehr in Niedersächsische Börse zu Hannover, Freiverkehr in 
Bayerische Börse München, 
Freiverkehr in Börse Stuttgart;