Qiagen forms JV with Becton Dickinson

Qiagen NV of the Netherlands and Becton Dickinson & Co, the US devicesgroup, are to form a 50:50 worldwide joint venture dedicated to molecular diagnostic testing. PreAnalytiX GmbH, which will be based in Switzerland, will develop, manufacture, and market integrated systems for the collection, stabilization and purification of nucleic acids, principally DNA and RNA, for molecular diagnostic testing.

The companies say there is a need to make safe, easy-to-use products that are compatible with clinical laboratory practices and "which are developed to eliminate the complexity of DNA and RNA processing." Metin Colpan, Qiagen's chief executive, said "our customers are faced with the challenging tasks of collecting, stabilizing and purifying nucleic acid samples prior to analysis. PreAnalytiX will soon offer innovative solutions for these challenges."

It is expected that PreAnalytiX will launch its first product in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2000, and the company estimates that the worldwide molecular diagnostics market will grow to $1.5-$3 billion in 2004 from its present size of $600-$700 million.