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Luminex Corporation and ViroNovative Announce License Agreement for Human Metapneumovirus Rights

Posted on: Monday, 14 July 2008, 15:00 CDT

Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX), the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, and ViroNovative BV today announced that the companies have signed a licensing agreement that gives Luminex worldwide rights to use ViroNovative's human metapneumovirus (hMPV) intellectual property in the xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP). Under the terms of the agreement, rights to ViroNovative's hMPV intellectual property will be extended to Luminex's distributors and end-user customers around the world.

"We are pleased to announce this license agreement in place with ViroNovative for human metapneumovirus," said Jeremy Bridge-Cook, vice president of Luminex Molecular Diagnostics. "This virus is of increasing concern to healthcare providers worldwide. Having this license as part of our xTAG RVP assay is important to us as it allows our customers to use this cutting-edge test without the need to individually secure rights to this intellectual property."

Luminex's xTAG RVP received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 3, 2008. The test was cleared for the detection and identification of 12 viruses and viral subtypes that are together responsible for more than 85 percent of respiratory viral infections. xTAG RVP is the first multiplexed nucleic acid test for respiratory viruses cleared for in vitro diagnostic use by the FDA and is the first and only test cleared by FDA for the detection of hMPV.

"The Luminex platform has achieved remarkable market penetration, so we are delighted to have licensed Luminex Molecular Diagnostics rights to hMPV," said James Simon, chief operating officer of ViroNovative BV. "This agreement will help promote diagnosis of hMPV, an important virus that infects the respiratory tract and causes significant clinical impact in humans, especially in young children."

Human metapneumovirus was first identified in 2001. The virus, which is found worldwide, causes flu-like symptoms and is a cause of significant upper and lower respiratory infections in all age groups. It is thought to be the second most common cause of lower respiratory infection in young children.

About Luminex Corporation

Luminex Corporation develops, manufactures and markets proprietary biological testing technologies with applications throughout the diagnostic and life sciences industries. The Company's xMAP(R) multiplex solutions include an open-architecture, multi-analyte technology platform that delivers fast, accurate and cost-effective bioassay results to markets as diverse as pharmaceutical drug discovery, clinical diagnostics and biomedical research, including the genomics and proteomics markets. The Company's xMAP technology is sold worldwide and is already in use in leading clinical laboratories as well as major pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology companies. Further information on Luminex Corporation or xMAP technology can be obtained at www.luminexcorp.com.

About ViroNovative BV

ViroNovative BV is dedicated to providing a complete solution to human Metapneumovirus (hMPV), a virus discovered in 2001 by the team of Prof Dr A.D.M.E. Osterhaus at the Erasmus Medical Centre. To this end, ViroNovative is promoting the development of diagnostics and vaccines for the detection and prevention of hMPV infection.

ViroNovative is a member of Viroventures, an organization in which ViroNovative collaborates with affiliates Viroscope and ViroClinics, sharing resources and expertise to combat infectious diseases.

Source: Business Wire

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