Qiagen

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Qiagen N.V.

Type	Naamloze vennootschap
Traded as	NASDAQ: QGEN, FWB: QIA
Industry	Biotechnology
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Venlo, Netherlands (corporate); Hilden, Germany (operational)
Key people	Peer Schatz (CEO and chairman of the executive board), Detlev Riesner (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Revenue	US $1.169 billion (2011)^[1]
Operating income	US $319.6.5 million (2011 adjusted)^[1]
Profit	US $234.4 million (2011 adjusted)^[1]
Total assets	US $3.956 billion (end of September 2012)^[2]
Total equity	US $2.712 billion (end of September 2012)^[2]
Employees	about 4,000 (end of September 2012)^[3]
Website	www.qiagen.com

Qiagen is a provider of sample and assay technologies for molecular diagnostics, applied testing, academic and pharmaceutical research. Consolidated under the Dutch holding Qiagen N.V., the company operates more than 35 offices in over 20 countries. Qiagen’s shares are listed at the technology-focused U.S. stock exchange Nasdaq (using ticker QGEN) and at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the Prime Standard (using ticker QIA). Peer M. Schatz is the company’s Chief Executive Officer. The main operative headquarters are located in Hilden, Germany (near Düsseldorf).

Products

QIAGEN is a worldwide provider of molecular sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to collect samples of tissue, fluids, etc. and stabilize, extract and purify various molecules of interest such as DNA, RNA or proteins from other cellular components. Assay technologies are then used to amplify (multiply) and enrich this small amount of isolated material to make it visible, readable and ready for interpretation. The separation and purification of genetic information is a basic precondition for further application or analysis.

Qiagen provides molecular technologies offered as kits with open or specific target analytes. According to Qiagen, the company’s current portfolio covers more than 500 products and more than 2,400 patents and licenses.^[4]

Application areas

Until the mid-2000s, the company was mainly a provider of sample technologies for the academic research market. Today, Qiagen’s product portfolio includes sample and assay technologies along with specific automation solutions in the following 4 markets:

Molecular Diagnostics (MDx): Molecular diagnostics detect the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) of target diseases or pathogens in samples such as blood or tissue. These procedures can help to detect viruses and bacteria more rapidly and with greater sensitivity and specificity than other methods such as bacterial culture or immunodiagnostics.^[5] Molecular diagnostics are also used to analyze individual patient's genomic information to further classify certain diseases and to determine the most appropriate treatment. Qiagen’s portfolio in molecular diagnostics covers various applications which the company divides into four main segments:^[6]

• Prevention: The screening of asymptomatic patients such as HPV testing for detection of high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, or for latent tuberculosis.

• Profiling: The testing of symptomatic patients who are at risk of carrying an infectious disease such as Hepatitis, HIV, TB etc. Qiagen manufactures more than 120 molecular diagnostic tests for use in profiling.

• Personalized Healthcare: The optimization of treatments for symptomatic, pre-diagnosed patients. Potential applications of these tests primarily focus on the treatment of various cancers.

• Point of Need: Low-throughput molecular testing in settings that lack a laboratory infrastructure or require fast turnaround times.

Applied Testing (AT): Applied Testing is the use of molecular biology/diagnostics in practical, non-clinical applications such as veterinary medicine, forensics, food-quality monitoring and protection against biological hazards. Qiagen's portfolio includes:

• Food safety: tests for pathogens (such as salmonella, legionella and listeria), allergens, genetically modified organisms as well as food origin and quality.

• Veterinary medicine: tests for pathogens (such as bird flu, for which Qiagen was the first company to offer an approved test) as well as pandemic prevention and monitoring.

• Forensics: tests used to identify victims, prosecute criminals and determine paternity or lineage.

Academic Research: The life science research market encompasses all disciplines focusing on living organisms such as humans, animals, plants or bacteria (e.g., biochemistry, biomedicine or genetic engineering). Much of the research is done on a molecular level targeting DNA, RNA and proteins and helps scientists to comprehend basic processes in cells and organisms.

Qiagen introduced the first kit for purification of plasmids – small ring-shaped DNA molecules in bacterial cells – in 1986, cutting the preparation time for plasmids from between two and three days down to two hours. The company has a global market share exceeding 70% for certain sample preparation technologies.

Pharmaceutical Industry: Multinational pharmaceutical companies use molecular sample and assay technologies in all phases of the drug development process, from the fundamental pharmaceutical research stage, through preclinical and clinical studies, to the commercialization and application of new products.

Qiagen technologies can be used to identify genes that participate in the emergence of diseases, carry out studies on the functions and interactions between genes (or proteins) in entire biological pathways, identify and validate potential biomarkers and identify and evaluate therapeutic target molecules and suitable active agent candidates. Qiagen's products can also be used in the execution of the clinical studies.

History

1984 - Qiagen is established on November 29 by a team of scientists at the University of Düsseldorf.

1986 - Qiagen launches its first product, a kit for purification of plasmids – small ring-shaped DNA molecules in bacterial cells – cutting the preparation time for plasmids from between two and three days down to two hours.

1996 - The initial public offering of Qiagen on the technology-oriented Nasdaq stock exchange (the first German company to do so)

1997 - The initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Germany).

2006 - Qiagen establishes its Asia regional headquarters in Shanghai.

2007 - Sales reach US$649.8 million and the number of employees surpasses 2,600. Qiagen acquires Digene for US$1.6 billion, making Qiagen an industry leader in molecular diagnostics (by revenue) and a leader in diagnostics for disease prevention.

2009 - Qiagen begins building its Personalized Healthcare business through the acquisition of DxS Ltd (a deal valued at ~US$ 95 million)^[7] and SABiosciences Corp. (a deal valued at ~US$ 9 million).^[8] At the end of 2009 Qiagen surpasses the US$1 billion revenue mark and has over 3,500 employees. Qiagen becomes one of the first companies to release a clinically verified diagnostic test for the detection of H1N1, more commonly known as Swine Flu.^[9]

2010 - Qiagen acquires ESE GmbH,^[10] giving the company access to point of need testing devices for the application of molecular diagnostic tests without laboratory infrastructure. Qiagen launches the QIAsymphony AS® and QIAsymphony RGQ® platforms, adding to the company’s portfolio for laboratory workflow automation and molecular test full-process automation respectively.

2011 - Qiagen acquires Ipsogen S.A. for ~US$101,^[11] adding to the company’s product and IP portfolio in the blood cancer space and developing its position in molecular diagnostics for oncology. Qiagen also acquires Cellestis Limited for ~US$ 374 million,^[12] giving the company access to QuantiFERON® technology for disease detection and prevention. The company adds two new offices in the Asia Pacific region in New Delhi, India and Taipei, Taiwan. The company announces a comprehensive restructuring program to focus on high-growth areas such as personalized medicine and business in emerging markets. The program includes workforce reduction and internal restructuring affecting approximately 10% of the company’s 3,900 positions.^[13]

Management

As of January 2013, the company's Executive Committee consisted of the following members:^[14]

Peer M. Schatz (Chief Executive Officer)
Roland Sackers (Chief Financial Officer)
Dr. Dietrich Hauffe (Senior Vice President Life Sciences Business Area)
Douglas Liu (Senior Vice President Global Operations)
Dr. Helge Lubenow (Senior Vice President Molecular Diagnostics Business Area)
Dr. Ulrich Schriek (Senior Vice President Corporate Business Development)
Dr. Thomas Schweins (Senior Vice President Human Resources, Strategy & Marketing Services)
Benedikt von Braunmuehl (Senior Vice President Global Commercial Operations)

Structure of the company

Qiagen has a holding structure. The holding (Qiagen N.V.) is located in Venlo, The Netherlands. The operative and European headquarters are located in Hilden (Germany). Further regional headquarters are located in Maryland (for North America) and Shanghai (for Asia).

References

External links

Official website

v t e TecDAX companies of Germany updated 18.03.2013

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