EyeSense Attracts QIAGEN as Strategic Investor

Strategic Partnership to Develop and Commercialize a Novel Ophthalmic Self-Diagnostic System for Blood Glucose Monitoring by Diabetes Patients

BASEL, Switzerland, January 11, 2011 - EyeSense AG, a leading developer of novel ophthalmic self-diagnostic
systems for glucose monitoring of diabetes patients, today announced that it
has entered into a strategic partnership with QIAGEN (NASDAQ: QGEN;
Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA). Capitalizing on QIAGEN's ESE
fluorescence-based optical technology and on Eyesense's glucose sensing
technology, the partners intend to develop a new optical measurement
technology for blood glucose monitoring in diabetes patients. QIAGEN acquired
a minority equity stake in EyeSense, and attained royalty rights for future
commercialization. Both the investment and the partnership are aimed at
further expanding the range of applications for the growing segment of
point-of-need testing and individualized treatment of patients. Financial
details have not been disclosed.

EyeSense's blood glucose monitoring (BGM) approach marks an
important step forward in the diabetes field. The Company's innovative and
painless device is based on a non-invasive ophthalmic diagnostic system, and
first patient studies have already yielded promising data. The ease of use,
robustness, and reliability of the device will empower patients to manage
their disease with confidence, and with improved comfort. EyeSense's
technology is poised to introduce a completely new way of self-diagnosis that
will be applicable to other therapeutic areas as well. The Company intends to
launch the new device in 2013.

"The collaboration with QIAGEN is an important validation of
EyeSense's progress to date, and substantially strengthens our development
efforts," said Achim Muller, CEO and co-founder of EyeSense AG. "With its
leadership in innovative optical measurement systems, QIAGEN is an ideal
partner to help us maximize our development and engineering know-how, take
our technology to the next level, and put our advanced monitoring devices in
the hands of patients at an accelerated pace.

"QIAGEN is investing strategically in innovative companies like EyeSense
by taking a minority equity position and partnering to bring novel
technologies to market," said Ulrich Schriek, Vice President Business
Development for QIAGEN. "EyeSense has created a highly innovative product
concept with potential to provide significant health benefits to people with
diabetes and eliminate the need for painful blood sampling multiple times a
day. This partnership adds a promising new application and builds on QIAGEN's
technology position in point-of-need testing with dramatic potential for
patients. It is also a great example of leveraging core technologies into a
new area of diagnostics in which QIAGEN has not been active."

With more than 250 million diabetics in the world today, blood
glucose measurement is one of the largest diagnostic markets, generating
annual sales estimated at $11 billion. BGM is one of the most effective
strategies to prevent serious harm to the patient's health such as
cardiovascular disease, kidney failure or blindness. If measured regularly
and accurately, the measurement of glucose levels can help save health
insurance systems billions of dollars, while simultaneously significantly
improving patients' quality of life.

About EyeSense AG:

EyeSense(TM) AG is a venture-backed diagnostic device company
based in Basel, Switzerland, and with operations near Frankfurt am Main,
Germany. EyeSense was founded in 2006 as a spinout from Ciba Vision AG (a
Novartis company), and develops ophthalmic diagnostic systems focusing on
glucose testing for diabetic patients. In addition to glucose, the testing
platform being developed by EyeSense has the potential to measure a broad
variety of medical-relevant analytes in patients. See www.eyesense.com
for more details.

About QIAGEN:

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, 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. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated
bio-molecules visible. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 sample
and assay products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. 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. This
panel includes the digene HPV Test, which is regarded as a "gold standard" in
testing for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause
of cervical cancer, as well as a broad suite of solutions for infectious
disease testing and companion diagnostics. QIAGEN employs nearly 3,600 people
in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found
at www.qiagen.com/.

    For more information:

    Achim Muller, CEO
    EyeSense AG
    Tel.: +49-6026-942-121 or 131

    Thomas Theuringer, Director Public Relations
    QIAGEN GmbH
    Tel.: +49-2103-29-11826

For more information: Achim Muller, CEO, EyeSense AG, Tel.: +49-6026-942-121 or 131; Thomas Theuringer, Director Public Relations, QIAGEN GmbH, Tel.: +49-2103-29-11826.