QIAGEN partners with Ares Genetics to advance global fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Developing Sample to Insight solutions to accelerate research on
growing public health threat

HILDEN, Germany & HOLZGERLINGEN, Germany & VIENNA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced
a broad agreement with Ares Genetics, a subsidiary of Curetis N.V.
(Euronext: CURE), to develop innovative bioinformatics and assay
solutions to accelerate research targeting the growing global health
challenges posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

QIAGEN has acquired an exclusive license to leverage Ares Genetics’
proprietary antimicrobial resistance database, ARESdb, as well as
bioinformatics tools and workflows from the ARES Technology Platform,
AREStools, in QIAGEN’s bioinformatics products and services for
researchers. QIAGEN also obtained a non-exclusive worldwide license to
develop and commercialize molecular research assays using ARESdb content
with QIAGEN next-generation sequencing (NGS) and polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) solutions. Powered by artificial intelligence, ARESdb is
likely the most comprehensive, global and continuously updated
proprietary knowledge base on genetic antibiotic resistance markers and
their diagnostic relevance.

“With QIAGEN as a prime supplier of industry-leading applications for
the analysis and interpretation of biological data, we are well
positioned to make ARESdb a key resource for cutting-edge research in
the pressing healthcare issue of antimicrobial resistance,” said Dr.
Andreas Posch, Managing Director and CEO of Ares Genetics. “This
partnership has the potential to greatly facilitate our engagement with
the public health and AMR research communities in the further
development and expansion of ARESdb, our database that is also core to
the NGS-based diagnostic solutions currently developed by Ares Genetics.”

“Antibiotic-resistant diseases are an urgent threat to public health, as
resistance undermines the effective prevention and treatment of an
ever-increasing range of infections. This global problem cries out for
molecular insights that can lead to new understanding and therapeutic
approaches. Partnering with Ares Genetics to leverage their genomic
content with QIAGEN’s expertise in bioinformatics, NGS and PCR
technologies, we will expand our portfolio of solutions to help the
global community fight these infections,” said Jonathan Sheldon, Senior
Vice President and head of QIAGEN Bioinformatics. QIAGEN is committed to
creating best-in-class Sample to Insight solutions that help combat the
global crisis in antibiotic resistant pathogens. The collaboration with
ARES builds on an already broad portfolio for infectious disease
research tools and adds to other AMR-related initiatives. QIAGEN will
leverage the AMR database from Ares Genetics with its expertise in
bioinformatics, assays and services, enabling the research community to
accelerate the fight against AMR.”

Antimicrobial resistance causes an estimated 700,000 deaths a year, and
the toll is expected to grow. A lack of diagnostic tools and reporting
makes the global impact difficult to quantify, but a recent study
predicted deaths will rise to 10 million a year by 2050 if
indiscriminate use of antibiotics continues, driving the growth of
resistance. Already, antimicrobial resistance is making treatment
difficult for a growing number of patients affected by resistant strains
of pneumonia and food-borne pathogens.

The collaboration with Ares Genetics builds on QIAGEN’s broad portfolio
for infectious disease research. QIAGEN will integrate the ARESdb
content with its CLC Genomics Workbench and build a
Software-as-a-Service portal providing standardized analysis for
research and enabling flexible design of assays. Together with QIAGEN’s
current sample preparation solutions, GeneGlobe portal and dedicated
bioinformatics solutions, ARESdb will expand QIAGEN’s market-leading
Sample to Insight offering of workflows for research into antimicrobial
resistance. QIAGEN solutions support basic and clinical research on a
range of bacterial infections, including healthcare-associated and
community-acquired infections.

Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.

About QIAGEN

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global
provider of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain
valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks
of life. Our sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and
proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make
these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics
software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant,
actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless
and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to more than
500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human
healthcare), Applied Testing (primarily forensics), Pharma (pharma and
biotech companies) and Academia (life sciences research). As of December
31, 2018, QIAGEN employed approximately 5,000 people in over 35
locations worldwide. Further information can be found at http://www.qiagen.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements contained in this press 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, launches,
regulatory submissions, collaborations, markets, strategy, taxes or
operating results, including without limitation its expected sales,
adjusted net sales and adjusted diluted earnings per share results, are
forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and
assumptions 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, regulatory processes
and dependence on logistics); variability of operating results and
allocations between customer classes; the commercial development of
markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied
testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with
customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or
unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN’s
products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the
level and timing of customers’ funding, budgets and other factors); our
ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; 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 and protect our products from
competitors’ products; market acceptance of QIAGEN’s new products and
the integration of acquired technologies and businesses; and the other
factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 3
of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information,
please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with,
or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

###

Contacts

QIAGEN
Investor Relations
John Gilardi
+49
2103 29 11711
Sarah Fakih
+49 2103 29 11711
e-mail: ir@QIAGEN.com

Public Relations
Thomas Theuringer
+49 2103 29 11826
Robert
Reitze
+49 2103 29 11676
e-mail: pr@QIAGEN.com

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