SHANGHAI, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- QIAGEN today announced that it has signed an agreement with Bio-X Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University to open a joint translational medicine lab in Shanghai. The lab is the first of its kind between QIAGEN and a major research institution in China and is a key milestone in the Company's expansion in key emerging markets and as a leading player in translational medicine.
"Translational Medicine aims to transform basic research results into clinically applicable practices. The trend of translational medicine is unstoppable and I think both scientists and policy makers should adapt this new concept as quick as possible and work together to improve human health," remarked Professor He Lin, Director of the Bio-X Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
QIAGEN will provide the Center with Pyromark Q24MDx and QIAcube instruments and related products. The Pyromark system is a state-of-the-art pyrosequencing instrument which allows researchers to, among many things, study gene mutations that play a role in various diseases. By studying biomarkers and pathways, researchers can turn viable disease related biomarkers into clinically applicable molecular diagnostic assays. Bio-X Center will use the instruments and QIAGEN reagents in a variety of research fields including biomarker validation and analysis.
"Translational medicine is quickly becoming the future of medicine by applying basic research to develop clinical diagnostics and therapies that prevent disease and optimize patient care," said Dr. Victor Shi, Asia Pacific President of QIAGEN. "Through this agreement with the Bio-X Center we can leverage our leading positions as a solutions provider in biological research, drug discovery and personalized healthcare to help develop better diagnostics and therapies for the Chinese people."
QIAGEN technologies are a staple in sample preparation and are playing an important role in driving the development of the drug discovery and personalized healthcare markets. QIAGEN offers proprietary systems for the automation of entire workflows in all application areas and customer segments. Through greater standardization, higher accuracy and reproducibility of results and increased efficiency, QIAGEN platforms are helping to drive the dissemination of molecular testing technologies in healthcare around the world.
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 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. As of December 31, 2011, QIAGEN employed nearly 3,900 people in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at http://www.qiagen.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 and assumptions 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, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics), variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes, the commercial development of markets for our products in applied testing, personalized healthcare, clinical research, proteomics, women's health/HPV testing and nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics, 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 general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors), our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products, 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 and protect our products from competitors' products, market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products, the consummation of acquisitions, and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Contacts:
Public Relations
Brendan Green
+86 21 3865 3824
PR@qiagen.com
www.qiagen.com/about/press
