Whatman and QIAGEN Announce Distribution Agreement for FTA Products

QIAGEN, the worldwide leading provider of sample and assay technologies for research in life sciences, applied testing and molecular diagnostics and Whatman, a global leader in separation and life science enabling technologies, today announced a non-exclusive distribution partnership that provides QIAGEN with the right to market and sell Whatman FTA® and FTA-based kits to all QIAGEN's target markets including life science research, molecular diagnostics and applied testing.

The agreement provides QIAGEN with distribution rights for existing Whatman FTA products as well as customized products. As part of the agreement, QIAGEN will pay Whatman an initial fee that grants QIAGEN non-exclusive distribution rights. In addition, royalties will be paid by QIAGEN to Whatman on the sale of all products that incorporate the use of FTA. Other financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Whatman's FTA technology has created a standard in the field of collection, storage and release of DNA and has a wide range of potential applications including forensics, pharmacogenomics, biobanking and genomics research. Whatman's FTA products are composed of a chemically-treated matrix that lyses cells and immobilises nucleic acids on contact, enabling scientists to collect, transport, archive and release nucleic acids at room temperature using an easy to perform protocol.

Whatman's FTA technology is highly synergistic with QIAGEN's sample preparation product portfolio. The addition of FTA has the potential to broaden QIAGEN's value proposition for QIAGEN's customers in key markets. Nucleic acids stored on FTA and purified with QIAGEN's sample preparation products are well suited for downstream applications such as QIAGEN's PCR-based genotyping, molecular testing products and comparative genomic studies. FTA has also been shown to be compatible with QIAGEN's whole genome amplification technology (WGA) for DNA replication currently used in many biobanking applications.

"Whatman is a well established leader in paper-based nucleic acid storage solutions in fields such as forensics, agricultural and environmental ID where easy to use technologies and long term stability are important for customers," said Peer M. Schatz, QIAGEN's Chief Executive Officer. "This is an important and synergistic addition to QIAGEN's product offering in areas such as molecular diagnostics, pharmacogenomics, and biobanking. We believe that the combination of FTA-technologies and QIAGEN technologies allows a very appealing, complete and synchronized workflow for our and Whatman's customers."

"We are delighted to announce this distribution agreement with QIAGEN. QIAGEN's market and technology leadership in genomics research makes it an ideal partner for our FTA technology in this market", said Kieran Murphy, Whatman's CEO. "This agreement strengthens our reach into valuable segments and will help us realise the potential of this breakthrough DNA collection and storage technology by expanding market access for FTA products through QIAGEN's established presence in the laboratory and pharmaceutical sectors."

Source: Qiagen GmbH