First Published Study of New HPV Test for Developing Countries Shows High Accuracy in Predicting Cervic...( QIAGEN's careHPV test provides 'sub...),Health

QIAGEN's careHPV test provides 'substantially more accurate' front-line

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VENLO, Netherlands, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new HPV test developed by QIAGEN specifically for use in regions of the world with scarce resources is "substantially" more accurate in identifying women with cervical disease than the current methods (Pap testing and visual inspection) in these countries. The first published study of patient outcomes with QIAGEN's careHPV test -- developed with support from PATH, a non-profit global health organization -- appears in the October issue of Lancet Oncology.

The new test for HPV (human papillomavirus), the primary cause of cervical cancer, is being developed by QIAGEN NV (Nasdaq: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) in partnership with PATH, which receives funding for this project from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The careHPV test is specially designed to allow women in areas with scarce healthcare resources to benefit from the advanced technology of HPV testing: It produces rapid, accurate results, yet is also simple to run, requires minimal infrastructure and will be affordable for public-health programs in these countries. The product is expected to be available for pilot programs early in 2009 and more widely in the second half of that year.

"QIAGEN is rapidly expanding our leadership position in molecular diagnostics in the developed world, and we take very seriously our commitment to make improvements in life possible for everyone, no matter what their socioeconomic status," says Peer Schatz, CEO of QIAGEN. "While it is relatively common for healthcare companies to provide their products at reduced prices or simplified form for low-income populations, QIAGEN has gone further. QIAGEN has adapted the most advanced technologies to develop a new molecular HPV DNA test that achieves high performance targets, yet can be made available to under-served regions at a
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