QIAGEN and Natera Partner to Develop Cutting-Edge Genetic Testing Assays for Use on QIAGEN’s GeneReader NGS System

QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA), a world leader in providing Sample to Insight molecular solutions, and Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a leading developer of next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays that include non-invasive prenatal genetic testing and the analysis of circulating tumor DNA, today announced a partnership to develop cutting-edge cell-free DNA assays for use on QIAGEN’s GeneReader NGS System.

These cell-free DNA assays will now be developed for use on the GeneReader NGS System, the first fully integrated Sample to Insight NGS solution, and designed to enable these type of tests, including prenatal screening, for hospitals and laboratories globally. Natera’s Constellation™ software would also be accessible for users of these and other assays in combination with the QIAGEN Clinical Insights (QCI) bioinformatics solution.

"We are excited to partner with Natera, a global market leader in non-invasive cell-free DNA genetic testing. Through this strategic partnership, we are planning to offer assays that provide significant clinical and economic value backed by extensive validation data and large clinical studies. We intend to make these assays available on the GeneReader NGS System to laboratories around the world that are very eager to bring in-house genetic testing across several applications, including prenatal screening,” said Peer M. Schatz, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN N.V. "The addition of these assays, along with Natera’s Constellation software, will substantially increase the system’s value and utility for a broader range of customers beyond the current menu focused on oncology.”

"This strategic partnership is an important milestone in the development of Natera, and we welcome the opportunity to partner with QIAGEN since both companies share a commitment to providing customers with actionable and often life-changing clinical insights,” said Matthew Rabinowitz, CEO of Natera. "We are combining Natera’s molecular and clinical experience in NGS content development with QIAGEN’s expertise in offering a complete and integrated NGS workflow to offer Sample to Insight testing leveraging Natera’s Constellation cloud platform. We also believe the global reach of QIAGEN will help us capitalize on the emergence and power of next-generation sequencing globally, and make these assays broadly accessible to hospital systems and laboratories worldwide.”

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