QIAGEN Acquires the SAWADY Group in Japan Accretive Acquisition Accelerates Penetration of QIAGEN's Synthetic Nucleic Acid Business in the Second Largest Life Science Market in the World

    VENLO, Netherlands and TOKYO, April 24 /PRNewswire Interactive News
 Release/ -- QIAGEN, N.V. (Nasdaq:   QGENF, Neuer Markt: QIA, Easdaq: QGEN) today
 announced the acquisition of the SAWADY Group of companies ("SAWADY Group").
 QIAGEN believes that the SAWADY Group has built a very strong reputation and
 position as the second largest suppliers of synthetic nucleic acids in Japan.
     Located in Tokyo, Japan, the SAWADY Group employs over 40 people and for
 the year 2000 recorded net sales of approximately US$10.0 million and net
 income of $0.9 million.
     Under the terms of the agreement QIAGEN issued 854,987 shares of its
 common stock, valued at the time of the closing at approximately $18 million,
 in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of SAWADY Technology Co.,
 Ltd., Omgen Co., Ltd. and a majority position in Accord Co., Ltd., the three
 companies comprising SAWADY Group. The SAWADY Group was managed and structured
 as one organization, but was organized as three companies to meet the tax
 planning and other preferences of its shareholders. The transaction is
 intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization and will be accounted for as
 a pooling of interests. QIAGEN expects to incur charges relating to the
 acquisition of approximately $3.0 million net after taxes. The closing of the
 transaction occurred on March 31, 2001. Excluding the effect of these charges
 (approximately $0.02 per share), QIAGEN expects this transaction to have an
 immediate positive impact on QIAGEN's net income per share.
     In June 2000, QIAGEN acquired Operon Technologies (Operon), which is
 believed to be the leader in the market for synthetic nucleic acids
 (oligonucleotides, synthetic genes and related products) in the United States.
 QIAGEN is currently opening manufacturing facilities in Europe applying
 Operon's manufacturing technologies. QIAGEN believes that the acquisition of
 SAWADY Group greatly accelerates QIAGEN's penetration of the Japanese market,
 which is believed to be the second largest market in the world. QIAGEN intends
 to leverage Operon's technology-leading position in synthetic nucleic acids
 with the strong market position which the SAWADY Group has created in Japan to
 address this rapidly expanding market. QIAGEN believes that the worldwide
 market for synthetic nucleic acid products in 2000 was approximately
 US$200 million and is growing rapidly. The contribution of revenues from
 synthetic nucleic acid products represented approximately 10% of QIAGEN's year
 2000 revenues which amounted to over US$204 million.
     "This is a great opportunity for QIAGEN. We believe that QIAGEN can
 greatly accelerate the creation of a leading position in Japan for our
 synthetic nucleic acid products with which we have already created a market
 and technology-leading position in the United States," said Dr. Metin Colpan,
 QIAGEN's Chief Executive Officer. "QIAGEN already has a strong presence in
 Japan. Our Japanese subsidiary, which we opened in 1998 for the full range of
 our products, built this market into one of the largest for QIAGEN, second
 only to the revenue contribution we generate in the United States."
     "We are excited to join forces with QIAGEN -- the market and technology
 leader for products for nucleic acid handling, separation and purification,"
 said Masanori Masuo, SAWADY's President. "Our products allow a very
 synergistic fit with QIAGEN's product offerings. Together, we believe that we
 can provide a product portfolio that offers a significant benefit for QIAGEN's
 and SAWADY's customers. We believe that by joining forces with QIAGEN and
 their Operon Technologies units we can greatly accelerate our presence as a
 leading supplier to the rapidly growing genomics markets in Japan."
 
     About QIAGEN
     QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company with subsidiaries in Germany,
 the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy,
 Australia and Canada, believes it is the world's leading provider of
 innovative enabling technologies and products for the separation, purification
 and handling of nucleic acids. The Company has developed a comprehensive
 portfolio of more than 320 proprietary, consumable products for nucleic acid
 separation, purification and handling, nucleic acid amplification, as well as
 automated instrumentation, synthetic nucleic acid products and related
 services. QIAGEN's products are sold in more than 42 countries throughout the
 world to academic research markets and to leading pharmaceutical and
 biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is positioning its products
 for sale into developing commercial markets, including DNA sequencing and
 genomics, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics, and genetic vaccination
 and gene therapy. QIAGEN employs approximately 1,400 people worldwide. Further
 information on QIAGEN can be found at http://www.QIAGEN.com.
 
     About SAWADY
     SAWADY was established in May 1993 and is a leading supplier of synthetic
 nucleic acid products and genomics services to customers in the Japanese life
 sciences market. The company is committed to supplying high-quality products
 at competitive prices. Demand for custom, synthetic DNA products is increasing
 rapidly in Japan, due to the rapid growth in research areas such as gene chips
 and SNP analysis. The state-of-the-art facilities at SAWADY include nucleic
 acid synthesis and oligonucleotide purification systems built around
 proprietary technologies developed at SAWADY. Further information on SAWADY
 can be found at http://www.sawady.com.
 
     Certain of the statements contained in this news release may be considered
 forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S.
 Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities
 Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements
 contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products and markets and operating
 results are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations
 that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks
 include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the challenges of
 integrating newly-acquired businesses into QIAGEN's operations, management of
 growth and international operations (including the effects of currency
 fluctuations), variability of operating results, the commercial development of
 the DNA sequencing and genomics market, nucleic acid-based molecular
 diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets,
 competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in
 demand for QIAGEN's products (including seasonal fluctuations), difficulties
 in successfully adapting the Company's products to integrated solutions and
 producing such products, the Company's ability to identify and develop new
 products and to differentiate its products from competitors, and the
 integration of acquisitions of technologies and businesses. For further
 information, refer to the discussion in reports that the Company has filed
 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
 
     Contact:  Peer M. Schatz, Chief Financial Officer, +49-2103-2911-702,
 p.schatz@de.QIAGEN.com, or Dr. Solveigh Mahler, Investor Relations,
 +49-2103-2911-710, s.maehler@de.QIAGEN.com, both of QIAGEN N.V.; Investors -
 Mary Claire Bice, or Media - Tony Ho Loke, both of Noonan-Russo
 Communications, 212-696-4455, for QIAGEN N.V.; or Masanori Masuo, President of
 SAWADY Technology Co., LTD., +81-3-3988-4633, masuo@sawady.com.
 
                     MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT -- Click Here
                http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X03471562
 
 

SOURCE  QIAGEN N.V.

    VENLO, Netherlands and TOKYO, April 24 /PRNewswire Interactive News
 Release/ -- QIAGEN, N.V. (Nasdaq:   QGENF, Neuer Markt: QIA, Easdaq: QGEN) today
 announced the acquisition of the SAWADY Group of companies ("SAWADY Group").
 QIAGEN believes that the SAWADY Group has built a very strong reputation and
 position as the second largest suppliers of synthetic nucleic acids in Japan.
     Located in Tokyo, Japan, the SAWADY Group employs over 40 people and for
 the year 2000 recorded net sales of approximately US$10.0 million and net
 income of $0.9 million.
     Under the terms of the agreement QIAGEN issued 854,987 shares of its
 common stock, valued at the time of the closing at approximately $18 million,
 in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of SAWADY Technology Co.,
 Ltd., Omgen Co., Ltd. and a majority position in Accord Co., Ltd., the three
 companies comprising SAWADY Group. The SAWADY Group was managed and structured
 as one organization, but was organized as three companies to meet the tax
 planning and other preferences of its shareholders. The transaction is
 intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization and will be accounted for as
 a pooling of interests. QIAGEN expects to incur charges relating to the
 acquisition of approximately $3.0 million net after taxes. The closing of the
 transaction occurred on March 31, 2001. Excluding the effect of these charges
 (approximately $0.02 per share), QIAGEN expects this transaction to have an
 immediate positive impact on QIAGEN's net income per share.
     In June 2000, QIAGEN acquired Operon Technologies (Operon), which is
 believed to be the leader in the market for synthetic nucleic acids
 (oligonucleotides, synthetic genes and related products) in the United States.
 QIAGEN is currently opening manufacturing facilities in Europe applying
 Operon's manufacturing technologies. QIAGEN believes that the acquisition of
 SAWADY Group greatly accelerates QIAGEN's penetration of the Japanese market,
 which is believed to be the second largest market in the world. QIAGEN intends
 to leverage Operon's technology-leading position in synthetic nucleic acids
 with the strong market position which the SAWADY Group has created in Japan to
 address this rapidly expanding market. QIAGEN believes that the worldwide
 market for synthetic nucleic acid products in 2000 was approximately
 US$200 million and is growing rapidly. The contribution of revenues from
 synthetic nucleic acid products represented approximately 10% of QIAGEN's year
 2000 revenues which amounted to over US$204 million.
     "This is a great opportunity for QIAGEN. We believe that QIAGEN can
 greatly accelerate the creation of a leading position in Japan for our
 synthetic nucleic acid products with which we have already created a market
 and technology-leading position in the United States," said Dr. Metin Colpan,
 QIAGEN's Chief Executive Officer. "QIAGEN already has a strong presence in
 Japan. Our Japanese subsidiary, which we opened in 1998 for the full range of
 our products, built this market into one of the largest for QIAGEN, second
 only to the revenue contribution we generate in the United States."
     "We are excited to join forces with QIAGEN -- the market and technology
 leader for products for nucleic acid handling, separation and purification,"
 said Masanori Masuo, SAWADY's President. "Our products allow a very
 synergistic fit with QIAGEN's product offerings. Together, we believe that we
 can provide a product portfolio that offers a significant benefit for QIAGEN's
 and SAWADY's customers. We believe that by joining forces with QIAGEN and
 their Operon Technologies units we can greatly accelerate our presence as a
 leading supplier to the rapidly growing genomics markets in Japan."
 
     About QIAGEN
     QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company with subsidiaries in Germany,
 the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy,
 Australia and Canada, believes it is the world's leading provider of
 innovative enabling technologies and products for the separation, purification
 and handling of nucleic acids. The Company has developed a comprehensive
 portfolio of more than 320 proprietary, consumable products for nucleic acid
 separation, purification and handling, nucleic acid amplification, as well as
 automated instrumentation, synthetic nucleic acid products and related
 services. QIAGEN's products are sold in more than 42 countries throughout the
 world to academic research markets and to leading pharmaceutical and
 biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is positioning its products
 for sale into developing commercial markets, including DNA sequencing and
 genomics, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics, and genetic vaccination
 and gene therapy. QIAGEN employs approximately 1,400 people worldwide. Further
 information on QIAGEN can be found at http://www.QIAGEN.com.
 
     About SAWADY
     SAWADY was established in May 1993 and is a leading supplier of synthetic
 nucleic acid products and genomics services to customers in the Japanese life
 sciences market. The company is committed to supplying high-quality products
 at competitive prices. Demand for custom, synthetic DNA products is increasing
 rapidly in Japan, due to the rapid growth in research areas such as gene chips
 and SNP analysis. The state-of-the-art facilities at SAWADY include nucleic
 acid synthesis and oligonucleotide purification systems built around
 proprietary technologies developed at SAWADY. Further information on SAWADY
 can be found at http://www.sawady.com.
 
     Certain of the statements contained in this news release may be considered
 forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S.
 Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities
 Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements
 contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products and markets and operating
 results are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations
 that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks
 include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the challenges of
 integrating newly-acquired businesses into QIAGEN's operations, management of
 growth and international operations (including the effects of currency
 fluctuations), variability of operating results, the commercial development of
 the DNA sequencing and genomics market, nucleic acid-based molecular
 diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets,
 competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in
 demand for QIAGEN's products (including seasonal fluctuations), difficulties
 in successfully adapting the Company's products to integrated solutions and
 producing such products, the Company's ability to identify and develop new
 products and to differentiate its products from competitors, and the
 integration of acquisitions of technologies and businesses. For further
 information, refer to the discussion in reports that the Company has filed
 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
 
     Contact:  Peer M. Schatz, Chief Financial Officer, +49-2103-2911-702,
 p.schatz@de.QIAGEN.com, or Dr. Solveigh Mahler, Investor Relations,
 +49-2103-2911-710, s.maehler@de.QIAGEN.com, both of QIAGEN N.V.; Investors -
 Mary Claire Bice, or Media - Tony Ho Loke, both of Noonan-Russo
 Communications, 212-696-4455, for QIAGEN N.V.; or Masanori Masuo, President of
 SAWADY Technology Co., LTD., +81-3-3988-4633, masuo@sawady.com.
 
                     MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT -- Click Here
                http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X03471562
 
 SOURCE  QIAGEN N.V.