VENLO, The Netherlands, March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QIAGEN N.V. , a leading provider of molecular diagnostics products and the world’s premier supplier of solutions for preanalytical sample preparation, today announced that the Institut Pasteur in France successfully evaluated QIAGEN’s artus(R) Influenza/H5 LC RT-PCR detection kit.
The rigorous evaluation procedures of the Institut Pasteur included 18 different human influenza viruses, including 16 “seasonal” strains and two cases of human H5N1, and 12 avian strains covering 7 distinct sub-types (including recent H5N1). All these influenza viruses were correctly identified by QIAGEN’s artus(R) Influenza/H5 LC RT-PCR detection kit. QIAGEN’s sensitive assay allowed the detection of very low levels of less than 10 influenza viruses in the samples.
The QIAGEN artus(R) Influenza/H5 LC RT-PCR kit was evaluated in combination with QIAGEN’s QIAamp(R) Virus purification technology. In addition, higher throughput performance of the QIAGEN solutions was demonstrated in combination with the QIAGEN BioRobot MDx automation platform which could be well adapted in pandemic situations.
“We are very pleased that the National Reference Center for influenza has evaluated QIAGEN’s preanalytical and assay products as standard components for their influenza surveillance programs,” said Thomas Grewing, QIAGEN’s Director R&D, Assay Development. “This collaboration with the Institut Pasteur demonstrates how QIAGEN’s rapid development of its technology leadership is addressing immediate needs in influenza and avian flu surveillance.”
The National Reference Center for influenza is part of the Institut Pasteur in France and responsible for regions including Northern France.
About the Test:
The artus(R) Influenza/H5 LC RT-PCR Kit is based on real-time PCR technology and combines a screening assay for all influenza A and B viruses with a highly specific detection of characteristic nucleic acids (RNA) of influenza A virus strains of subtype H5. It is provided in a ready-to-use format and enables the detection of influenza viruses in human sputum and serum as well as in throat and nasal swabs using the LightCycler Instrument. In addition to the influenza specific detection system, the artus(R) Influenza/H5 LC RT-PCR Kit contains an Internal Control, which allows to verify the successful RNA isolation and to control the enzymatic reaction. Thus, a high reliability of results is achieved. By comparison to classical characterization procedures for influenza viruses which require a week of time, the artus Influenza/H5 Kit reduces the time of detection of influenza virus genome, and identification of H5 sub-type to 75 minutes.
QIAGEN’s artus influenza detection products are for research use only. They have not been cleared or approved by regulatory authorities in the United States, or under the European IVD Directive, for human diagnostic or other clinical use, and are not intended and should not be used for human diagnostic or any other clinical purposes.
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is a leading provider of innovative technologies and products for pre-analytical sample preparation and molecular diagnostics solutions. QIAGEN has developed a comprehensive portfolio of more than 500 proprietary, consumable products and automated solutions for sample collection, and nucleic acid and protein handling, separation, and purification. QIAGEN also supplies diagnostic kits, tests, and assays for human and veterinary molecular diagnostics. The company’s products are sold to academic research markets, and to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; as well as to diagnostics laboratories. QIAGEN also provides purification and testing solutions to applied testing markets: such as forensics, animal or food testing, and pharmaceutical process control.
QIAGEN employs more than 1500 people worldwide. QIAGEN products are sold through a dedicated sales force and a global network of distributors in more than 40 countries.
Further information about QIAGEN can be found at 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 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), 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, the integration of acquisitions of technologies and businesses, and the timing of product introductions by our commercial partners. 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).
QIAGEN N.V.
CONTACT: Contact /Regulatory aspects: Peer Schatz, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, QIAGEN N.V., e-mail: peer.schatz@QIAGEN.com, Dr. Solveigh Mahler,Director of Investor Relations, QIAGEN GmbH, Tel: +49-2103-29-11710,e-mail: solveigh.maehler@QIAGEN.com, Regulatory aspects: North America,Clarissa Saba, Director of QA/QC, QIAGEN Sciences, Tel: +1-240-686-7500,email: clasrissa.saba@qiagen.com, Rest of the world, VolkerRiemenschneider, Associate Director Regulatory Compliance, QIAGEN GmbH,email: volker.riemenschneider@QIAGEN.com
