DIGE Digene Corp (MM)

GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Digene Corp. (NASDAQ:DIGE) will continue to supply Quest Diagnostics' (NYSE:DGX) network of labs in the U.S. with instrumentation and reagents for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for the next four years under a recently executed agreement, the company announced today. The new agreement extends the companies' previous three-year contract. Digene manufactures and markets the Digene(R) HPV Test, the only FDA-approved test for high-risk types of the virus, and the Rapid Capture(R) System, an automated, high-throughput instrument on which the HPV test and other assays can be performed. HPV is the cause of essentially all cervical cancer, which is one of the most common malignancies affecting women worldwide. Quest Diagnostics is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, and Digene's largest HPV testing customer. Quest Diagnostics will continue its efforts with Digene to educate and promote HPV screening along with the Pap test to its customer base of hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers. "This long-term agreement reflects Digene's commitment to offer its lab customers, and the clinicians and patients they serve, the highest standard of care in cervical cancer screening," said Douglas White, Digene's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing -- Americas and Asia Pacific. "Digene and Quest Diagnostics will continue to work together to sponsor and support ongoing education to physicians and their patients about the clinical value of using HPV testing as part of their cervical cancer screening practices." The Digene HPV Test detects the recognized cause of cervical cancer -- HPV. In the United States, the Digene HPV Test is FDA-approved for use with a Pap test in women age 30 and older as a primary screening method for cervical cancer. While the Pap test relies on a laboratory technician to manually look for cell changes that may signal cervical disease, the Digene HPV Test uses advanced molecular technology to identify the presence of the genetic code (DNA) of 13 high-risk types of HPV. Using the Digene HPV Test in combination with the Pap test maximizes the likelihood that high-grade cervical disease and cancer will be detected early About Digene A leader in molecular diagnostics, Digene develops, manufactures and markets proprietary DNA and RNA tests, with a focus on women's health. The company's flagship product, the Digene(R) HPV Test, is the only FDA-approved and CE-marked test for the human papillomavirus, the cause of essentially all cervical cancers. Digene's product portfolio also includes tests for the detection of other sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. Digene tests are marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Digene is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol DIGE. For more information, visit http://www.digene.com/ and http://www.thehpvtest.com/. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of the future as there are a number of meaningful factors that could cause the company's actual results to vary materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Meaningful factors, which could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to, the degree of acceptance of HPV testing by physicians, uncertainty of the company's future profitability, its ability to scale up manufacturing operations to meet any increased demand, the uncertainty regarding patents and proprietary rights, the success of the company's marketing efforts, competition, risks inherent in international transactions, and the inability to obtain requisite additional financing, as well as other factors discussed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. For other factors, reference is made to the discussion in the company's annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. DATASOURCE: Digene Corporation CONTACT: Albert Fleury, Investor Relations of Digene Corporation, +1-301-944-7000, or Pam Rasmussen, Digene, +1-301-944-7196 Web site: http:/// http://www.digene.com/ http://www.thehpvtest.com/

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