About us Historical Development Home About QIAGEN Historic Development QIAGEN's journey began in the mid-1980s, the early days of biotechnology as a spin-off of university research. Today some 5,300 employees, based in more than 25 countries, provide expertise and service to customers nearly everywhere. Explore the milestones below that built QIAGEN into the company it is today and view our development in our infographic. DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC 2019 - 2010 2009 - 2000 1999 - 1984 2019 - 2010 2019: SALES = $1.53 BN EMPLOYEES = 5,100 QIAGEN begins development of next-generation systems for digital PCR and acquires the digital PCR assets of Formulatrix, Inc., a developer of laboratory automation solutions. QuantiFERON-Plus is added to the diagnostic catalogue of the STOP TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility, opening a new channel to reach countries with a high incidence of TB but limited resources. Two new FDA-approved tests are added to QIAGEN’s companion diagnostic portfolio: The therascreen PIK3CA RGQ PCR Kit aids in identifying patients eligible for a new breast cancer therapy developed by Novartis and the therascreen FGFR RGQ RT-PCR Kit identifies urothelial cancer patients for Janssen Biotech’s newly approved FGFR kinase inhibitor. 2018: SALES = $1.50 BN EMPLOYEES = 5,000 QIAGEN moves into the rapidly growing syndromic testing market with the launch of the QIAstat-Dx point-of-care testing system. Collaborations with more than 25 pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop companion and complementary diagnostics to guide clinical decision-making, solidifies QIAGENs leading position in precision medicine. The flagship QIAsymphony automation solution surpasses 2,300 cumulative placements globally. QIAGEN partners with NeuMoDx Molecular Inc. to commercialize two new fully integrated automation systems for higher-throughput PCR testing in clinical laboratories. Staff at the Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris using the QIAstat-Dx syndromic testing system to screen a patient sample for respiratory pathogens. Find out more about their story here. 2017: SALES = $1.42 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,700 QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus gains regulatory approval from the U.S.Food and Drug Administration. QFT-Plus represents the fourth generation of the market leading blood test for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. QIAGEN acquires OmicSoft Corporation, with software enabling customers to better manage genomic data and compare findings against massive public data sets. 2016: SALES = $1.34 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,700 New core technologies serve fast-growing fields of liquid biopsies, single cells and microbiomes. QIAGEN acquires Exiqon A/S, adding solutions to unlock insights from RNA in the fight against cancer and other diseases. When teacher, Laura, was diagnosed with TB it came as a shock. Contact tracing using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, enabled detection of 21 individuals harboring latent TB infections. Read the full story here. 2015: SALES = $1.28 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,600 QIAGEN launches the GeneReader NGS System, the first complete Sample to Insight solution designed for any lab to deliver actionable insights. With the launch of new genetic fingerprinting kits for forensic labs, QIAGEN is the first new entrant in more than 20 years in the U.S. market for STR test kits. In Europe, QIAGEN receives the first-ever regulatory registration of a lung cancer companion diagnostic based on liquid biopsies. Launch of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, the fourth-generation of QIAGEN’s industry-leading test for tuberculosis (TB) infection. 2014: NET SALES = $1.35 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,300 QIAGEN’s technologies play a key role in the fight against the devastating Ebola outbreak in Africa. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants regulatory clearance for the QIAsymphony RGQ MDx, marking a milestone for QIAGEN’s global rollout of its flagship automation platform. 2013: NET SALES = $1.30 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,000 QIAGEN acquires Ingenuity Systems and CLC Bio, creating leadership in solutions for analysis and interpretation of biological data. The FDA approves QIAGEN’s therascreen EGFR test as a companion diagnostic for Gilotrif in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. 2012: NET SALES = $1.26 BN EMPLOYEES = 4,000 QIAGEN gains FDA approval for its KRAS test as companion diagnostic for Erbitux in metastatic colorectal cancer patients and achieves a milestone in personalized healthcare. A scientist prepares paraffin embedded sections of tumor biopsy for further histological and molecular diagnostic analysis. 2011: NET SALES = $1.17 BN EMPLOYEES = 3,900 QIAGEN acquires a majority stake in the French company Ipsogen and gains access to a leading portfolio of blood cancer tests. Further expansion in Asia with new subsidiaries in India and Taiwan. 2010: NET SALES = $1.09 BN EMPLOYEES = 3,600 QIAGEN launches QIAsymphony RGQ, a highly flexible modular automation platform covering entire laboratory workflows. QIAGEN acquires a new detection technology for Point of Need. The instruments are highly affordable, portable and generate results in 5 to 15 minutes. 2009 - 2000 Anne Kailow, Head of Molecular Diagnostics at the Herlev Hospital in Denmark. Hear how Anne’s team use the QIAsymphony AS/SP for infectious disease testing here. 2009: NET SALES = $1.01 BN EMPLOYEES = 3,400 QIAGEN acquires DxS Ltd., giving the company a leadership position in personalized healthcare. QIAGEN’s technologies play a key role in the fight against the global Swine Flu pandemic. 2008: NET SALES = $893M EMPLOYEES = 3,000 QIAsymphony SP launches as the first system in a series of modular instruments, designed to automate entire laboratory workflows. 2007: NET SALES = $650M EMPLOYEES = 2,600 QIAGEN merges with Digene Corp., creating the market and technology leader in molecular diagnostics QIAGEN introduces QIAcube, a revolutionary platform which fully automates the processing of QIAGEN consumable products. 2006: NET SALES = $466M EMPLOYEES = 1,800 QIAGEN establishes its Asia regional headquarters in Shanghai. QIAGEN acquires an assay technology which allows for the testing of multiple pathogens in a single run (“multiplexing”). 2005: NET SALES = $398M EMPLOYEES = 1,600 An outbreak of Avian flu in South East Asia killing millions of birds and raising concerns about potential transmission to humans. QIAGEN develops the artus influenza kit for the rapid detection of all known variants of the Avian Flu virus H5N1 and receives thes the world’s first governmental clearance for an Avian Flu assay (through its subsidiary PG Biotech in China). 2004: NET SALES = $380M EMPLOYEES = 1,300 QIAGEN’s QIAamp becomes the world’s first standalone product for sample preparation to receive the CE-mark. The QIAamp DSP DNA Blood Mini Kit was the first in a long line of QIAGEN solutions to gain approval for use in human diagnostic testing. 1999 - 1984 1999: NET SALES = $158M EMPLOYEES = 900 PreAnalytiX, a joint venture with Becton, Dickenson and Company is established. Two years later the first PAXgene product, consolidating sample collection, stabilization and purification is launched. 1997: NET SALES = $75M EMPLOYEES = 600 Just over a year after the debut on the NASDAQ, QIAGEN lists its shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as part of the “Neue Markt” index, which would go on to be knows as the TecDAX. 1996: NET SALES = $54M EMPLOYEES = 450 Initial Public Offering is completed on NASDAQ, New York and QIAGEN becomes one of the first European companies to list shares on the NASDAQ QIAGEN introduces the BioRobot 9600, its first bench-top workstation, which automates purification technologies. This is the first in what is to become a line of laboratory automation solutions. 1986: NET SALES = $100,000 EMPLOYEES = 5 QIAGEN revolutionizes molecular biology by introducing the first "Plasmid-Kit". It reduces the time needed for the preparation of plasmids, ring-shaped DNA molecules from bacteria, from 2-3 days to 2 hours. The basic principle of bind-wash-elute pioneered in the kit is still used today in QIAGEN’s sample prep products. 1984: NET SALES = $0 EMPLOYEES = 2 QIAGEN (originally Diagen) was born as a spin-out from the Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf in 1984. Founded by the three young scientists, Metin Colpan, Karsten Henco, and Jürgen Schumacher, and their doctoral supervisor Detlev Riesner, their goal was to establish a research outfit supplying products for molecular biological research. A modern-day QIAamp plasmid prep kit. 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