In July 2007, Digene Corporation was acquired by Netherlands-based sample and assay developer QIAGEN N.V. With primary focus is in women's cancers and infectious diseases - nucleic acid tests for cancer and infectious diseases - Digene Corporation develops, manufactures and markets its proprietary gene-based testing systems for the screening, monitoring and diagnosis of human diseases. In 1988, the first diagnostic test for human papillomavirus. test gained FDA approval; the test was ViraPap, - developed in 1983 by Life Technologies (formed by the merger of GIBCO and Bethesda Research Laboratories). Clinical uptake was slow, and Life sold the test and associated intellectual property to Digene in 1990. It became Digene's most important product line: applying its proprietary Hybrid Capture technology to develop a diagnostic test for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the primary cause of cervical cancer and is found in greater than 99% of all cervical cancer cases. In addition to its HPV Test, the Company's product portfolio includes gene-based tests for the detection of chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus and cytomegalovirus
