Quest Diagnostics proposes $1,250,000,000 senior notes offering

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (the "Company") (NYSE:  DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, announced today that it intends to offer $1,250,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of four series of senior notes in a public offering made under a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, subject to market and other conditions.  The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior, unsecured basis by certain of the Company's domestic, wholly owned subsidiaries.

The issuance of the notes will be subject to customary closing conditions.  The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund the purchase price and related transaction costs of its acquisition of Athena Diagnostics, Inc. and to repay outstanding indebtedness under its senior unsecured revolving credit facility and secured receivables credit facility.  Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Goldman, Sachs & Co., RBS Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will be joint bookrunning managers for the debt offering.  When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus for the offering can be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated tollfree at (866) 7181649, Goldman, Sachs & Co. tollfree at (866) 471-2526, RBS Securities Inc. tollfree at (866) 8842071, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (212) 834-4533 and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll-free at (800) 326-5897.

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated