QIAGEN Enables Efforts to Eradicate Costly Catt...

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Collaboration with Swiss laboratory Microsynth AG pioneers nucleic
acid-based primary screening for Bovine Viral Diarrhea
 
VENLO, The Netherlands, April 21, 2008 - QIAGEN N.V. today  announced
that it has been awarded a contract by the Swiss life science company
Microsynth AG  to  supply  the  molecular  cador  BVDV    assays  for
detection of viruses causing Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), one of  the
most widespread and costly infectious cattle diseases. The multi-year
agreement is part of  the Swiss national  BVD eradication program  in
which over  one million  cows  are to  be  screened to  identify  and
contain infectious animals. QIAGEN and Mircosynth are pioneering  the
use of  nucleic acid  based  tests for  primary  screening in  a  BVD
eradication program. Currently, over 50 per cent of the Swiss  cattle
population are  believed  to be  exposed  to the  BVD  virus  (BVDV),
causing significant economic  cost to the  livestock industry as  the
infection can lead to a dramatic loss in weight. Worldwide, 60 to  85
percent of cattle are estimated to be exposed to the virus.
 
Microsynth AG is one  of a few laboratories  accredited by the  Swiss
government to  perform  tests for  BVDV.  The laboratory  has  signed
exclusive contracts with several  Swiss cantons accounting for  about
one-third of  the Swiss  cattle population  to perform  both  initial
tests based  upon  tissue  samples  and  follow-up  tests  to  verify
positive results using blood samples.  The main phase of the  program
will last three  months and is  scheduled to start  in October  2008.
Unlike in  other countries,  the Swiss  program is  designed to  test
every single animal, thus putting highest demands on test methodology
and logistics.
 
Microsynth is pioneering the implementation of molecular testing  for
primary screening  of BVDV,  which provides  several unique  benefits
compared to traditional testing methods aiming at viral antibodies or
antigens. QIAGEN's cador BVDV assay is based on the polymerase  chain
reaction (PCR) technology and  can detect even  tiny traces of  viral
RNA from  a  wide range  of  biological samples.  Unlike  traditional
methods, PCR  enables the  direct detection  of the  pathogen  itself
independent of  the  immune  status  of  an  animal,  which  is  also
important for the screening of newborn calves. The assay enables  the
testing of pooled samples and is suited for high-throughput settings.
It has already  proven successful by  Microsynth in screening  50,000
samples from young animals before their first summer pasture.  During
the main  phase of  the eradication  program, Microsynth  expects  to
process as many as 350,000  biological samples in just three  months.
The agreement  also covers  continuing  screening of  newborn  calves
through October 2009.
 
"The success of the eradication program depends on the identification
and elimination of  all animals persistently  infected with BVDV,  as
the disease often occurs without symptoms and thus frequently remains
unnoticed. QIAGEN's assay technologies guarantee highest  sensitivity
and specificity  while processing  large  numbers of  samples",  said
Simone Gauch,  QIAGEN's Global  Marketing Director  Applied  Testing.
"QIAGEN  products  set  standards  for  surveillance  of   infectious
veterinary diseases  and are  being  used by  more than  80  renowned
institutions  around  the  globe.  Our  partnership  with  Microsynth
further strengthens this  leadership position  and is  proof for  our
competitive strength."
 
"Our company has a long history of commitment to innovative, reliable
and high-quality solutions ensuring  the highest satisfaction of  our
customers", said  Dr.  Tobias  Schmidheini,  CEO  of  Microsynth  AG.
"That's why  we  have chosen  to  use QIAGEN's  molecular  assays  in
primary BVDV screenings during  the national eradication program.  We
believe that this  state of  the art technology  fully satisfies  our
significant demands  on our  high-throughput BVDV  testing  procedure
that is both highly sensitive and reliable."
 
In addition to the supply  agreement with Microsynth AG, QIAGEN  will
also provide a complete testing solution incorporating the automation
instrument BioRobot Universal, QIAamp sample preparation technologies
and the cador BVDV assay to  the Institute of Veterinary Virology  at
the   University   of   Bern.    The   institute   serves   as    the
government-approved   official   BVDV   reference   laboratory    for
Switzerland and partnered with QIAGEN  during the development of  the
PCR-based cador BVDV assay. This molecular test has set standards for
BVDV screening in  Switzerland and  is widely  used for  confirmatory
testing  of  positive  samples,  which  have  been  identified  using
traditional immunological assays.
 
QIAGEN's veterinary testing business is organized as part of QIAGEN's
Applied  Testing  segment   which  also   includes  rapidly   growing
application areas such as forensics, biodefense, quality control  and
others.
 
An estimated  60 to  85 percent  of the  worldwide cattle  population
which exceeds 1.3  billion animals  are exposed to  the Bovine  Viral
Diarrhea virus. The disease can lead  to a dramatic reduction in  the
infected animal's weight. Because  many BVDV infections go  unnoticed
and due to differences in the various national economies, it is  hard
to estimate the global  economic impact of  the disease. In  Germany,
experts estimate that the annual economic damage can reach up to  US$
115 per  animal.  That's  why  several  countries  including  Norway,
Sweden, Austria and  Germany have  already implemented  corresponding
eradication programs or have discussed their implementation.
 
For more  information about  the  eradication program,  please  visit
www.stopbvd.ch;   for    information   about    BVD   please    visit
www.bvd-info.ch.
 
About BVD
Bovine Viral Diarrhea is one of the most widespread cattle  diseases.
The infectious  disease caused  by the  Bovine Viral  Diarrhea  Virus
(BVDV) is closely related to the Classical Swine-Fever-Virus. In many
cases,  BVDV  infections  occur  without  symptoms  and  thus  remain
unnoticed by farmers. However, some variations of BVD such as Mucosal
Disease (MD) are almost always lethal. Most damage is caused by  BVDV
infections  occurring  during  pregnancy,  as  they  often  lead   to
persistent infections in newborn  calves. Persistently infected  (PI)
animals typically exhibit  decreased weight  gain, increased  disease
vulnerability and reduced  fertility. Also, PI  animals are the  main
source of  new infections  with  the disease.  BVDV does  not  affect
humans.
 
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 2,600 people in over  30
locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at
www.qiagen.com.
 
About Microsynth
Microsynth AG, located near the  border triangle of Germany,  Austria
and Switzerland,  was  founded  in  1989 as  the  first  private  DNA
synthesis laboratory in  Switzerland. Through continuous  development
and implementation  of  new technologies  on  a high  quality  level,
Microsynth established  itself  as a  highly-recognized  provider  of
products, and services such as  DNA and RNA synthesis, GMO  analysis,
genotyping, and  DNA sequencing.  The company's  products are  widely
used in  academic research,  biotechnology, pharmaceutical  industry,
and in hospitals. Microsynth  officially completed the  certification
process for  all departments  according to  ISO 9001:2000.  Moreover,
Microsynth achieved  the  accreditation  of  the  analysis  divisions
according  to  ISO   17025.  The  company's   vast  experience   with
lab-automatization  and   PCR-based  analysis   methods   predestined
Microsynth for the high-throughput analysis of bovine samples for the
presence of BVD-virus.  Further information about  Microsynth can  be
found at www.microsynth.ch.
 
 
Contacts:
 
Dr. Thomas Theuringer
Associate Director Public Relations
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
 


 
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