QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) has reached an agreement to acquire Cellestis Ltd (CST: AU) for approximately A$341 million (US$355 million) in cash, providing QIAGEN with access to a novel"pre-molecular" technology that offers a new dimension in disease detection not currently possible with other diagnostic methods.

The acquisition of Cellestis, a publicly listed, profitable company headquartered in Australia, will provide QIAGEN with exclusive rights to QuantiFERON(R) technology, a proprietary approach for disease detection and monitoring.

Cellestis has successfully commercialized this technology with QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT), a leading test for latent tuberculosis (TB), and is in the early stages of commercializing QuantiFERON(R)-CMV for monitoring of disease risk from the life-threatening cytomegalovirus (CMV).

These tests are approved and commercialized in various countries and are believed to have significant untapped market potential.

QuantiFERON(R) is a patent-protected platform technology that can provide information on diseases far earlier than possible with other diagnostic methods. QuantiFERON(R) tests whole blood samples for the presence of systemically amplified molecular analytes which provide information from the immune system's memory.

Following successful completion of the transaction, QIAGEN plans to migrate QuantiFERON(R) onto QIAensemble, a next-generation high-throughput automation system in development and nearing market entry; QIAsymphony, a highly versatile automation system for low- to mid-throughput volumes available around the world; and QIAGEN's point of need testing platforms acquired from ESE GmbH.

QIAGEN and Cellestis have entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed (SID) pursuant to which QIAGEN, or a wholly owned subsidiary, will acquire all of the ordinary shares in Cellestis for approximately A$341 million in cash, or A$3.55 per share. Based on an exchange rate of A$1.00 = US$1.04(5), the transaction value is approximately US$355 million.

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