Ending Cervical Cancer Featured at Summit; QIAGEN CEO Issues a Call to Global Women...

Ending Cervical Cancer Featured at Summit; QIAGEN CEO Issues a Call to Global
Women Leaders

HANOI, Vietnam, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QIAGEN was featured this
week for its efforts to eliminate cervical cancer at the 14th annual Global
Summit of Women in Hanoi, Vietnam. CEO Peer Schatz came to this prominent
international platform to issue a call to other leaders in business, NGOs and
governments to join him and campaign to create a cervical-cancer-free world.
"Nearly 500,000 women around the world are diagnosed with cervical cancer
every year - a shocking number considering that it's a highly preventable
disease," Mr. Schatz told ministers from more than 60 countries at a
roundtable on the opening day. "However, QIAGEN and partners such as the
summit's Global Consortium of Women to End Cervical Cancer are showing that
where there is a will there is a way. I urge you to join us. The tools are
there; they just need desire and commitment to put them to work."
The Global Summit of Women annually brings together more than 1,000
senior-level women in business, government and advocacy, and is often called
the "Davos for Women." It celebrates women's leadership by bringing together
business and governmental professionals to work together to improve the
economic power and well-being of females throughout the world. At last year's
summit, President Irene Natividad announced the launch of an international
"consortium to end cervical cancer." The consortium "aims to educate women
about cervical cancer prevention and encouraging governments to provide easy
access to the latest methods of prevention and detection, including HPV
testing and vaccination." Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of
cervical cancer, and QIAGEN has developed the only FDA- and EU-approved test
for high-risk types of the virus.
"We are delighted to have corporate leaders such as QIAGEN partner with
us. Together we can leave the legacy of a cervical-cancer-free world to the
next generations of women," said Ms Natividad. "We have made huge strides
with women's empowerment. Yet, too often, an obstacle prevents millions of
women from living healthy, productive lives: cancer. Cervical cancer kills
more than a quarter million women each year, and nearly all of these deaths
are preventable. New vaccines and a highly accurate test for HPV have the
power to eliminate this devastating disease. But we need help in assuring
access to these medical advances for all women, and we welcome QIAGEN's
commitment and leadership."
In addition to its digene HPV Test, which QIAGEN distributes widely in
the United States, Europe and elsewhere, the company is partnering with the
non-profit organization PATH to develop a specially designed version of the
screening test for low-resource countries. This new test is sensitive enough
to identify the largest number of women at risk - a critical characteristic
when a woman may be able to get to a medical clinic just once or twice in her
lifetime. Yet at the same time, the new HPV test can be run without
electricity or running water, and can be administered by workers with minimal
training.
"Public-private partnerships are essential to advancing the health agenda
for women, and QIAGEN is committed to leading the way," Mr. Schatz told the
audience at a panel discussion on corporate social responsibility at the
summit. "We look forward to working in tandem with the many partners we have
found at this summit and elsewhere."
About HPV and cervical cancer (http://www.theHPVtest.com)
Worldwide, cervical cancer affects nearly 500,000 women annually and,
after breast cancer, is the second most common malignancy found in women.
Cervical cancer is caused by "high-risk" types of the human papillomavirus
(HPV), which are sexually transmitted. It's estimated that 80 percent of
women will get an HPV infection at some point in their lives. However, in
most cases, the infection goes away or is suppressed by the body without
causing problems. It is only infections that persist that can cause abnormal
cells to form that may develop into cervical cancer if not detected and
treated early. One report from the World Health Organization estimates that
only about 5 percent of women had been screened for cervical disease in the
previous five years, compared to 40-50 percent in the developed world.
About QIAGEN (http://www.qiagen.com)
QIAGEN NV, headquartered in the Netherlands, is the leading global
provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to
isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as
blood or tissue, and assays make these isolated molecules visible to
facilitate such vital activities as biological research and detection of
disease. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 products as well as
instruments that make their use more efficient and accurate. The company
provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic
researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing
customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and
pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN's assay technologies include one of
the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide,
including the only FDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the
primary cause of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,600 people in
over 30 locations worldwide.
SOURCE QIAGEN NV

Pam Rasmussen QIAGEN +1-240-686-7616 Pamela.Rasmussen@qiagen.com; Dr. Thomas
Theuringer QIAGEN +49-2103-29-1826 Thomas.Theuringer@qiagen.com