SAN DIEGO, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gen-Probe Incorporated (Nasdaq: GPRO) announced today that Eric Tardif has joined the Company as senior vice president, corporate strategy.

"We are delighted to add someone of Eric's caliber and experience to our already strong senior management team," said Hank Nordhoff, Gen-Probe's chairman and chief executive officer. "We believe he will have an immediate impact on our corporate planning and development activities."

Mr. Tardif, 39, was formerly a managing director in Morgan Stanley's healthcare investment banking group, where he advised diagnostics, life sciences tools, and medical technology companies on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and financing activities. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he was a principal in Piper Jaffray's healthcare investment banking group.

Mr. Tardif holds a chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation. He earned a BA in business from Bishop's University in Quebec, an MBA from the University of British Columbia, and an MS in finance from the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College.

About Gen-Probe

Gen-Probe Incorporated is a global leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of rapid, accurate and cost-effective nucleic acid tests (NATs) that are used primarily to diagnose human diseases and screen donated human blood. Gen-Probe has more than 25 years of NAT expertise, and received the 2004 National Medal of Technology, America's highest honor for technological innovation, for developing NAT assays for blood screening. Gen-Probe is headquartered in San Diego and employs approximately 1,000 people. For more information, go to www.gen-probe.com.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release relating to expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as believe, will, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend, plan and would. For example, statements regarding the plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Some of these risks include, but are not limited to, the risk that we cannot retain key executives. For additional information about risks and uncertainties we face and a discussion of our financial statements and footnotes, see documents we file with the SEC, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and all subsequent periodic reports. We assume no obligation and expressly disclaim any duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent events.

    Contact:

    Michael Watts
    Senior director, investor relations and
    corporate communications
    858-410-8673

SOURCE Gen-Probe Incorporated