Hitachi High-Technologies, QIAGEN form new strategic partnership to advance molecular testing

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TSE:8036) and QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration involving initiatives to deliver important advances in molecular testing.

Under terms of the agreement, both companies will bring their unique strengths to the collaboration: Hitachi High-Technologies is recognized as a leader in industrialized instrument development and manufacturing technologies, especially for life sciences and in-vitro diagnostics, while QIAGEN brings its leadership in molecular Sample to Insight solutions for use in both the life sciences and clinical diagnostics.

Initial projects for the collaboration involve developing new automation systems based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and NGS (next-generation sequencing) technologies. Both parties agreed that the collaboration could be expanded in the future to involve co-commercialization of products in specific geographic markets. Further terms of the collaboration are confidential.

"QIAGEN and Hitachi High-Technologies share much the same corporate culture such as customer focus as well as a commitment to technology and quality leadership," said Yasukuni Koga, Head of Medical Systems Sales and Marketing Div., of Hitachi High-Technologies. "We believe those are crucial for the collaboration to achieve a meaningful position in the rapidly changing and highly competitive markets of in-vitro diagnostics and life sciences, applying genetic engineering. Moreover, developing a co-commercialization collaboration with distribution and customer service in specific geographical regions would be highly accepted by customers of each company."

"This new strategic partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies will form a very powerful platform to create new molecular testing solutions. Hitachi High-Technologies is a recognized leader in industrial automation and has a proven track record of innovation as well as a significant presence in the Asia-Pacific region," said Thierry Bernard, Senior Vice President, Head of the Molecular Diagnostics Business Area and a member of the Executive Committee of QIAGEN. "Combining the NGS-related and other molecular know-how of QIAGEN with the instrumentation expertise of Hitachi High-Technologies will enable us to bring innovative automation solutions to customers all over the world and across the continuum from basic research through to routine molecular diagnostics."