Qiagen expands real-time PCR licenses

Venlo, the Netherlands-based molecular diagnostics firm Qiagen NV has acquired licenses from Swiss drug major Roche and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics that expand its rights to real-time polymerase chain reaction for use in in vitro diagnostics. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The two separate and independent agreements provide Qiagen with access to a major portfolio of additional patent and marketing rights, which were not covered by the original licensing agreements with Roche. Through these deals the firm has broadened its portfolio to assay technologies and diagnostic tests using almost any basic PCR patent and real-time PCR patent rights related to reagents and methods for practising PCR and real-time PCR for IVD.

Through its agreement with Roche, Qiagen is now licensed under all real- time PCR patents and pending patent applications owned or controlled by Roche Diagnostics, which includes, but is not limited to, additional enzyme patent rights, further PCR improvement patent rights and pathogen-specific patent rights.