VENLO, THE NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - November 10, 2008) - QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN) (FRANKFURT: QIA) today announced the launch of a new test to determine mutations of the K-ras gene. The K-ras gene is mutated in between 35 percent and 45 percent of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Studies have shown that K-ras testing can better define which CRC patients will benefit from treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibiting monoclonal antibodies, such as Amgen’s Vectibix® (panitumumab) and Imclone/Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Erbitux® (cetuximab).
