Hilden, Germany, and Germantown, Maryland, August 18, 2020 – QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) launched the innovative QIAseq SARS-CoV-2 Primer Panel for next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the novel coronavirus genome, along with integrated analysis and interpretation workflows for insights into the evolution and spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The new products are an expansion of QIAGEN’s broad offering of sample technologies, diagnostic tests and instruments, and research tools for use in the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These solutions aim to accelerate research into COVID-19 prevention and treatment by enabling deeper, more holistic insights into the biology of SARS-CoV-2. The more we understand the novel coronavirus and its development, the better equipped the world will be to stop the pandemic,” said Thierry Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN. “We are partnering with leading institutes and companies to accelerate this vital research. Our new QIAseq SARS-CoV-2 Primer Panel and software pipeline will guide researchers into insights on the epidemiology, metatranscriptomics, immune response and pathways of the coronavirus – contributing to drug and vaccine development and public health strategies.”
QIAGEN’s new QIAseq SARS-CoV-2 Primer Panel provides optimized, single-day workflows to prepare libraries for sequencing as researchers use NGS to track viral genome changes in studying the epidemiology of virus outbreaks. The two-step process uses advanced QIAseq technologies to conduct reverse transcription and cDNA synthesis from a viral RNA sample, then generate libraries compatible with Illumina sequencing platforms. The workflow is faster and has lower-input requirements compared to hybrid capture solutions.
The panel is supported with software pipelines tailored to SARS-CoV-2 genome analysis using QIAGEN’s CLC Genomics Workbench. The optimized and configurable pipelines allow researchers to identify viral genome sequence variation across samples, and to visualize strain divergence across populations and geographies using phylogenetic approaches. QIAGEN also provides a complete Sample to Insight SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Service covering all aspects of the workflow, from RNA isolation to NGS library preparation and data analysis.
The first independent study using the new QIAGEN workflows, an analysis of COVID-19 epidemiology in India, has been published in the Journal of Biosciences. The study used QIAGEN’s QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit for extraction of RNA. Researchers used the QIAseq SARS-CoV-2 Primer Panel for viral genome amplification in samples that did not generate sufficient NGS reads, converting the RNA to double-stranded cDNA and amplifying it, then generating libraries for sequencing on an Illumina instrument. The sequences were assembled and analyzed using QIAGEN CLC Genomics Workbench. The full study can be found at https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jbsc/045/0076.
“We urgently need more research into the evolution of this virus. As we found in eastern India, mutations are emerging in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that might modulate viral transmission, replication efficiency and virulence in different regions of the world. Genomic research is required to improve understanding of transmission patterns, tracking of the outbreak and formulation of effective containment measures,” said Dr. Arindam Maitra, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in India, one of the authors. “We found that a viral genome amplification method like the QIAseq SARS-CoV-2 Primer Panel was ideal for looking at low copy number, or high CT samples when compared to other methods.”
As a global leader in NGS solutions for evaluation of microbiomes and metagenomics, QIAGEN also offers a complete QIAseq workflow to expedite metatranscriptomics research and efficiently decipher the complex interplay between the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the host and its microbiota. A recently published study by Shah, S.J., et al. (2020) has illustrated the application of QIAseq FastSelect rRNA removal technology in facilitating SARS-CoV-2 metatranscriptomics, leading to a more comprehensive evaluation of co-infection rates in COVID-19 patients.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, QIAGEN’s initiatives focus on building the most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for COVID-19 testing. These include ramping up production of viral RNA extraction for use on QIAGEN’s QIAcube, QIAsymphony and EZ1 platforms as well as third-party instruments; building up a range of PCR tests on the QIAstat-Dx and NeuMoDx systems that enable COVID-19 detection while analyzing samples at the same time for other respiratory infections; and delivering universal next-generation sequencing (NGS) solutions for use with any sequencer, in particular gene panels like the QIAseq SARS-CoV-2, which are integrated with bioinformatics for analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. QIAGEN is also scaling up production capacity for reagents sold to other companies for use in their own COVID-19 tests.
For an overview of QIAGEN’s coronavirus testing solutions, please visit http://www.qiagen.com/coronavirus.
To explore QIAGEN’s NGS-specific solutions for COVID-19 research, please visit https://go.qiagen.com/CoronavirusNGS
For details of QIAGEN’s SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Service, please visit https://www.qiagen.com/applications/genomic-services/sars-cov-2-whole-genome-sequencing-services
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human healthcare) and Life Sciences (academia, pharma R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics). As of June 30, 2020, QIAGEN employed more than 5,200 people in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information can be found at http://www.qiagen.com.
Forward Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this press 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, launches, regulatory submissions, collaborations, markets, strategy, taxes or operating results, including without limitation its expected net sales, net sales of particular products (including anticipated sales of its QuantiFERON latent TB Test, its portfolio of next generation sequencing solutions and QIAstat-Dx), adjusted net sales, adjusted diluted earnings per share results, product launches (including anticipated launches of digital PCR products, a new version of its QuantiFERON-TB test, QuantiFERON-TB Access, the QIAstat-Dx panel for respiratory conditions and a CE-IVD marked panel for meningitis), placements of QIAsymphony modular PCR instruments, improvements in operating and financial leverage, currency movements against the U.S. dollar, and plans for investment in its portfolio and share repurchase commitments, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics); variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes; the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN’s products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers’ funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN’s products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors’ products; market acceptance of QIAGEN’s new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses; and the other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 3 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).