QIAGEN Transfers Distribution Rights for Transp...

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Transaction allows QIAGEN to increase focus on personalized medicine
applications of HLA testing products

VENLO, The Netherlands, June 16, 2009 - QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN;
Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) today announced that it has signed an
agreement to transfer distribution rights on July 1, 2009 for the
Olerup SSP® product line and the related assets to Olerup
International AB, a subsidiary of LinkMed (NASDAQ OMX Nordic
Exchange: LMED), a Swedish venture capital company specializing in
Life Sciences.

The Olerup  SSP®  product  line  includes  molecular  transplantation
testing products used for DNA  HLA typing. QIAGEN will retain  rights
to all Olerup  SSP® assays for  applications outside  transplantation
testing, such as in personalized  medicine. The transaction does  not
affect QIAGEN's presence in new sequencing-based typing assays in the
area of  transplantation. As  part of  the transaction,  QIAGEN  will
transfer  all  assets   related  to   its  Olerup   SSP®  HLA   sales
infrastructure  to  LinkMed,   including  office  infrastructure   in
Austria. LinkMed will assume this office's staff of eight employees.

Through this  transaction,  QIAGEN is  increasing  its focus  on  the
higher  growth  applications  in  transplantation  testing  such   as
sequencing-based typing, as well as the application of such assays in
personalized medicine.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are  molecules found on cell  surfaces
that regulate  how  the body  recognizes  and thus  possibly  rejects
foreign tissue transplants. Molecular profiling of HLA sequences,  or
"Typing", is  typically  performed  prior to  organ  or  bone  marrow
transplantations: the  better the  HLA match  between a  donor and  a
recipient,   the   lower   the   risk   for   transplantation-related
complications, such  as graft  versus host  disease, where  the  body
rejects  the  transplant.  The   products  QIAGEN  covered  in   this
distribution rights  transfer  agreement are  the  sequence  specific
primer ("SSP") typing products for determining HLA alleles using  PCR
techniques with SSP. The SSP technology was added to QIAGEN's product
portfolio  in  2002  as  part  of  the  acquisition  of   GenoVision.
Historically, these products have  been sold at  a lower margin  than
QIAGEN's average molecular diagnostic assays and have been focused on
certain niche market segments only. Going forward, QIAGEN will  focus
on the commercialization  of its  new SBTexcellerator  kits from  its
alliance with  Genome  Diagnostics  N.V.  In  contrast  to  SSP,  the
SBTexcellerator product line, which was completed in March 2009, uses
another advanced HLA  typing technology,  known as  "Sequencing-Based
Typing" (SBT).

According to the agreement, QIAGEN will continue to have distribution
rights to  Olerup SSP®  products  that can  be used  in  applications
outside transplantation testing, such as the rapidly emerging use  of
such products  in personalized  medicine. Such  tests include,  among
others, the typing of  the HLA-B*5701 allele -  a test to assess  the
risk of  AIDS patients  for severe  adverse reactions  to the  widely
prescribed HIV drug component  Abacavir. The agreement also  includes
options for  QIAGEN  to  distribute future  Olerup  SSP®  assays  for
pharmacogenetic applications.

"This transaction gives us the chance to quickly jump-start sales  of
a well-established product-line that seamlessly fits into our overall
offering", said Ingemar Lagerlöf, CEO of LinkMed, which had  acquired
the research  and production  parts of  the Olerup  SSP® business  in
2008. Recently, LinkMed has  established Olerup International AB  for
future distribution of its SSP products.

"The  agreement  with  LinkMed  allows  us  to  further  execute  our
corporate strategy  and streamline  our portfolio.  We focus  on  the
development and  commercialization  of innovative  sample  and  assay
technologies for molecular diagnostics, which are strongly driven  by
the emergence of personalized medicine", said Peer M. Schatz, CEO  of
QIAGEN. "HLA assays are expected to  play a key role in  personalized
medicine as evidenced  by recent developments  and research.  Through
our new arrangement,  we can  increase our  focus on  a portfolio  of
HLA-related products for use in the high growth area of  personalized
medicine."

The transfer of  the Olerup SSP®   product line  does not impose  any
changes   in   ordering   processing   for   HLA   customers    using
SBTexcellerator kits. QIAGEN's life science and diagnostics customers
in Austria will  be served  by the German  sales organization,  while
customers in Turkey continue to order all SSP kits via QIAGEN's local
sales office ATQ.

The transaction is expected to reduce QIAGEN's revenues in the second
half of 2009 by approximately  US$10 million but will neither  impact
the company's expected adjusted earnings per share for full year 2009
nor future expected earnings.

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  digene
HPV Test, which  is regarded as  the "gold standard"  in testing  for
high-risk types of human papillomavirus  (HPV), the primary cause  of
cervical cancer. QIAGEN  employs more  than 3,100 people  in over  30
locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at


http://www.qiagen.com/.

About LinkMed:
LinkMed  develops  life  science  companies  in  collaboration   with
innovators and  other  financiers.  By  contributing  management  and
capital, LinkMed has created a portfolio of twelve companies, four in
drug development  and  biotechnology  and eight  in  diagnostics  and
medical technology.  LinkMed  is  listed on  the  NASDAQ  OMX  Nordic
Exchange in the Small  Cap section (ticker:  LMED). In 2008,  LinkMed
has acquired Olerup  SSP AB,  a leading producer  of SSP-based  human
leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue typing kits and reagents. Olerup SSP's
products are sold world-wide to tissue typing laboratories,  national
bone marrow  donor  registries  and other  laboratories.  Within  the
segment PCR-SSP, management  estimates Olerup  SSP to  be the  global
leader in relation to HLA. Olerup SSP AB is a wholly owned subsidiary
of LinkMed. Olerup International AB owned by LinkMed and SSP  Primers
AB will  from now  on handle  distribution and  sales of  Olerup  SSP
products.

Statements contained in  this release that  are not historical  facts
are  forward-looking  statements,  including  statements  about   our
products, markets, strategy  and operating  results. Such  statements
are  based   on  current   expectations   that  involve   risks   and
uncertainties including, but not  limited to, those associated  with:
management of growth and international operations (including currency
fluctuations and logistics),  variability of  our operating  results,
commercial development  of our  markets (including  applied  testing,
clinical  and  academic  research,  proteomics,  women's   health/HPV
testing and molecular diagnostics), our relationships with customers,
suppliers and strategic partners, competition, changes in technology,
fluctuations  in   demand,  regulatory   requirements,   identifying,
developing and producing integrated products differentiated from  our
competitors'  products,  market  acceptance  of  our  products,   and
integration of  acquired  technologies and  businesses.  For  further
information, refer to our filings with the SEC, including our  latest
Form 20-F.  Information in  this release  is as  of the  date of  the
release, and we undertake no  duty to update this information  unless
required by law.


 
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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;