Qiagen GmbH, wholly owned subsidiary of Qiagen N.V., one of the world's leading providers of innovative enabling technologies and products for the separation, purification and handling of nucleic acids and proteins, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire artus Gesellschaft für molekularbiologische Diagnostik und Entwicklung mbH, an established leader in PCR-based molecular diagnostic tests for pathogenenic, genotyping and pharmacogenomic testing.

Qiagen expects that this transaction will add approximately US$15 million in net sales and US$1.5 - 2.0 million in net income to Qiagen’s 2006 financial results.

artus focuses on selling its diagnostic assays (tests) as OEM products to leading diagnostic companies including Abbott Laboratories. artus has made significant moves towards regulatory standardization. The artus RealArt assay range has been developed for use on a variety of open architecture detection platforms including the Roche LightCycler, the ABI Taqman, the RotorGene from Corbett Research as well as electrophoresis detection systems.

artus’ portfolio spans over 60 assays including 30 CE marked assays for detection of a variety of viral and bacterial pathogens such as SARS, Herpes simplex virus -1/-2, Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV), West Nile Virus, Malaria and Salmonella. The portfolio also includes select assays for genotyping and veterinary medicine and a strong pipeline of complete panels for certain disease profiles.

Qiagen believes that this acquisition is a perfect fit in its strategy to increase Qiagen’s value as a partner to the molecular diagnostics industry. In addition to its leading position in preanalytical sample preparation in molecular diagnostics, Qiagen is now able to offer optimized and synchronized combinations of preanalytical sample preparation and diagnostic assay solutions to its partners in molecular diagnostics.

“artus’ expertise in developing and marketing diagnostic assays has the potential to significantly expand Qiagen’s technology leadership in molecular diagnostics. Through this acquisition, Qiagen intends provide integrated diagnostic solutions encompassing standardized preanalytical solutions and optimized assays to our diagnostic partners,” said Peer M. Schatz, Qiagen’s CEO.