Document:

<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.44

CERTAIN MATERIAL (INDICATED BY AN ASTERISK) HAS BEEN OMITTED FROM THIS DOCUMENT
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT. THE OMITTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.

                                FIRST AMENDMENT

                                       TO

                    SEPTEMBER 1, 1998 DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
                         BETWEEN GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
                    AND CHUGAI DIAGNOSTICS SCIENCE CO., LTD.

     This Amendment amends the September 1, 1998 Distribution Agreement made
between Gen-Probe Incorporated ("Gen-Probe") and Chugai Diagnostics Science Co.,
Ltd. ("CDS").

     The parties hereby agree to amend the Distribution Agreement as follows:

     1.   Effective Date.  the effective date of this First Amendment to the
Distribution Agreement shall be June 30, 2002.

     2.   Definitions. Capitalized terms not defined in this First Amendment
shall have the meanings set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

     3.   Sale Prices.  Effective as of January 1, 2003, Section 1.15 of the
Distribution Agreement (entitled "Sale Prices") is amended to provide that the
prices of the Products shall be as set forth on Exhibit A-1, attached to this
First Amendment.

     4.   Minimum Purchase Commitments. Section 3.3 of the Distribution
Agreement (entitled "Minimum Purchase Commitments") is amended to provide that
the Minimum Commitments for Gen-Probe Products for the calendar years 2003,
2004, and 2005 are specified in Exhibit B-1, attached to this First Amendment.

     5.   Recommended Minimum Dating. Section 6.1 of the Distribution Agreement
(entitled "Shipment") is amended to provide that the recommended shelf life for
the Products shall be determined by reference to Exhibit C-1, attached to this
First Amendment.

     6.   Term.  The first sentence of Section 16.1 of the Distribution
Agreement (entitled "Term") is amended to read as follows:  "The term of this
Agreement (the "Term") shall be from September 1, 1998 through December 31,
2005, unless earlier terminated hereunder."

     7.   Assignment.  Section 18.1 of the Distribution Agreement (entitled
"Assignment") is amended to add the following sentences:  "Gen-Probe hereby
consents to the planned acquisition by Fujirebio Inc., a corporation organized
under the laws of Japan and having its principal place of business at 62-5
Nihonbashi-Hamacho 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, of one hundred percent (100%)
of the issued and outstanding stock of CDS. Any costs associated with or
resulting from this acquisition, including costs of re-labeling products, shall
be the responsibility of CDS.  Gen-Probe shall not have any responsibility for
costs associated with or resulting from the acquisition, including re-labeling."

<PAGE>
     8. Effect of Amendment. Except as expressly amended by this First
Amendment, the Distribution Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

CHUGAI DIAGNOSTICS                      GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
SCIENCE CO., LTD.

By:  /s/ HARUO KATO                     By:   /s/ HENRY L. NORDHOFF
   --------------------------              -----------------------------
     Haruo Kato                               Henry L. Nordhoff
     President and                            President and
     Chief Executive Officer                  Chief Executive Officer
<PAGE>

ATTACHMENT A-1

                    [3 Pages of Pricing Information Deleted
                  Pursuant to Confidential Treatment Request]
<PAGE>

Attachment B-1

                          Minimum Purchase Commitment

         CALENDAR PERIOD                    MINIMUM PURCHASE
         ---------------                    ----------------
                                             (dollar value)

January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003               [***]

January 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004               [***]

January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005               [***]

[***]

***Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
   the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
   omitted portions.

<PAGE>

Attachment C-1

                                   GEN-PROBE
                   Recommended Minimum Dating Shipping Levels

<Table>
<Caption>
                                                                  Minimum Dating
     Cat.#                     Product Name                          (Months)
     -----                     ------------                       --------------
<S>                            <C>                                <C>

                                     [***]

</Table>

***Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
   the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
   omitted portions.<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.45

CERTAIN MATERIAL (INDICATED BY AN ASTERISK) HAS BEEN OMITTED FROM THIS DOCUMENT
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT. THE OMITTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.

            THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE LICENSE AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN
              GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, BIOANALYSIS LIMITED AND THE
                    UNIVERSITY OF WALES COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

This Third Amendment is entered into as of this 19th day of February, 2002 by
and between Gen-Probe Incorporated, 10210 Genetic Center Drive, San Diego,
California 92121-4362 ("Gen-Probe"), Bioanalysis Limited, 5 Chiltem Close,
Cardiff Industrial Park, Cardiff CF4 5DL, United Kingdom ("Bioanalysis") and
the University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN,
United Kingdom ("UWCM").

                                    RECITALS

WHEREAS, Gen-Probe, Bioanalysis and UWCM are parties to a License Agreement
dated January 21, 1986, a first Amendment dated May 11, 1989, and a second
Amendment dated November 19, 1998 (collectively, the "License Agreement"); and,

WHEREAS, Gen-Probe and Bioanalysis have had discussions concerning the scope of
the University Patent Rights and the Bioanalysis Patent Rights, and have
identified certain potential disputes between themselves with respect to such
patent rights in connection with the License Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the parties have agreed to make certain modifications to the License
Agreement in order to resolve the potential disputes between them;

                                   AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

      1. Article 1 of the Agreement shall be amended to add the following terms:

             J. [***] shall mean those acridinium ester compounds disclosed and
      claimed in United States patent no. [***].

             K. [***] shall mean all acridinium ester compounds other than those
      disclosed and claimed in United States patent no. [***], including, but
      not limited to, the acridinium ester compounds incorporated into
      Gen-Probe's [***] products as of the date of this Third Amendment, which
      are listed in Appendix A and incorporated herein by reference.

***Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
omitted portions.
<PAGE>
2.   Article 6 of the Agreement shall be amended to read as follows:

Royalties

     (i)   Gen-Probe shall during the continuance of this Agreement make
payments on Net Sales of the Licensed Products containing [***] according to the
following schedule:

     (a)   [***];
     (b)   [***];
     (c)   [***].

     (ii)  In the event Gen-Probe is obliged to pay a royalty to a third party
to develop, use, manufacture, have manufactured, market or sell a Licensed
Product containing [***] subject to this Agreement, Gen-Probe may reduce its
payment obligation hereunder by [***], but, in no event, shall the royalty owed
Bioanalysis be reduced by more than [***].

     (iii) Commencing with the first fiscal year of Gen-Probe beginning more
than three years from the effective date of this Agreement, a minimum royalty
(the "Minimum Royalty") must be paid to Bioanalysis by Gen-Probe in order to
maintain the exclusivity of the rights and licenses granted herein. The Minimum
Royalty shall be [***] per year for the first of such years, and [***] for
subsequent years. In the event the amount due on Net Sales of Licensed Products
containing [***] is less than the Minimum Royalty for any such year, Gen-Probe
may preserve the exclusivity of the rights and license granted herein by [***],
payable within sixty days of the end of the fiscal year in question. In the
event the total payment by Gen-Probe is less than the Minimum Royalty for any
such year, the exclusivity of the rights and licenses granted herein shall
cease.

     (iv)  Gen-Probe shall during the continuance of this Agreement make
payments of Net Sales of the Licensed Products containing [***] at the rate of
[***] of Net Sales.

***Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
   the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
   omitted portions.
<PAGE>
               (v) In the event that Gen-Probe sells a Licensed Product
     containing at least one [***] and at least one [***], royalties on such
     product shall be paid at the rate set forth in paragraph 2(i), above,
     subject to any applicable offset under paragraph 2(ii), and shall not be
     subject to any additional royalty under paragraph 2(iv)

     2. Except as expressly amended as set forth above, the terms of the License
Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Gen-Probe, Bioanalysis and UWCM have duly executed this
Third Amendment on the dates indicated below.

GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED                  BIOANALYSIS, LTD

        STAMPED:

        APPROVED

/s/ [SIGNATURE ILLEGIBLE]

       LEGAL DEPT.

By:  /s/ HENRY L. NORDHOFF              By:  /s/ JS WOODHEAD
   -------------------------------         ---------------------------------
     Henry L. Nordhoff                  Printed Name:   JS Woodhead
     President & CEO                                 -----------------------
                                        Title:  Director
                                              ------------------------------
Date:  2-26-02                          Date:    25/3/02
     -----------------------------           -------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF WALES
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

By:  /s/ C.B. TURNER
   --------------------------------
Printed Name:  C.B. Turner
             ----------------------

Date:    25/03/02
     ------------------------------

*** Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
omitted portions.
<PAGE>

                                   APPENDIX A

                                     [***]

***Certain information on this page has been omitted and filed separately with
   the Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to the
   omitted portions.

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00043-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00043-of-00352.parquet"}]]