As we begin the New Year, 2008 promises to be an important year for Luminex and our partners, customers and shareholders.  We expect 2008 to be a year in which our xMAP technology platform plays an even more critical role in scientific discovery and diagnostics worldwide, and we are particularly excited about two recent announcements that will help make this goal possible.

At the beginning of 2008, Luminex Molecular Diagnostics launched the xTAG™ Respiratory Viral Panel, and at the close of 2007, the Luminex Bioscience Group launched FlexmiR Select.  These innovations are an important demonstration of Luminex’s mission to positively impact the safety and quality of life of people around the world.  Both of these assays will help improve science and healthcare and allow clinicians, scientists, and researchers to accomplish new advances in multiplexing.

These recent product launches, combined with the consistent growth of our company and adoption of our xMAP technology across the globe, position Luminex for continued success in the coming year. We will continue to increase our investments in research and development and expand our collaborations to identify and create new applications for our technology.  In this way, Luminex will further solidify our position as the worldwide leader in multiplexing solutions, as we strive to impact the health, safety and quality of life of people around the world.

xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel
The xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) received 510(k) clearance from the U.S Food and Drug Administration on January 3, 2008.  xTAG RVP is a breakthrough product not only for Luminex, but for our industry and the entire healthcare system. 

By offering physicians and patients a level of comprehensive diagnosis that has not been possible previously, xTAG RVP will completely change the way respiratory disease is diagnosed.  In a matter of hours, this test can detect 12 viruses and subtypes from a single patient sample – from the common cold, to the flu, to adenovirus – that together are responsible for more than 85% of respiratory viral infections. 

xTAG RVP is the first multiplexed nucleic acid test for respiratory viruses cleared for in vitro diagnostic use by FDA.  It also is the first test of any kind FDA has cleared to detect human metapneumovirus, the first test cleared for influenza A subtyping, and the first ever molecular test ever cleared for adenovirus detection.  

xTAG RVP is an important tool for physicians and public health officials alike.  It will allow for more specific diagnosis of respiratory illnesses, improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, reduce the overuse of antibiotics and enhance virus surveillance. 

To date, more than 40 hospitals, laboratories and public health agencies in North America, Europe and Asia have evaluated the xTAG RVP.  More than 30,000 tests have been performed by scientists and clinicians around the world, and the feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive.  

xTAG RVP is a significant milestone for Luminex as the first product launched through Luminex Molecular Diagnostics (LMD) since the acquisition of Tm Bioscience in early 2007.  This test further establishes Luminex in the molecular diagnostics market, and is a step forward in the infectious disease market, a sector that we believe will be very important to us in the future. 

Looking ahead, we are excited about the growing Luminex Molecular Diagnostics product portfolio, and look forward to expanding our multiplexing platform. The LMD manufacturing facilities in Toronto, which meet the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulations, also offer a great opportunity to manufacture products in development within the Luminex Bioscience Group. 

Customized microRNA Assays:  FlexmiR Select
The Luminex Bioscience Group (LBG) was created in 2005 to develop innovative and novel applications that enhance the breadth and number of tests available to our partners and end users in specialty markets. LBG has since launched two unique products – a pneumococcal assay and FlexmiR, a line of microRNA products.

In December 2007, LBG launched FlexmiR Select, a new multiplexed microRNA (miRNA) assay designed to allow researchers to further advance understanding and enhance the analysis of miRNAs. The latest addition to Luminex's FlexmiR line of products, FlexmiR Select allows researchers to create multiplexed customized miRNA panels for more efficient and focused miRNA analysis.
  
FlexmiR Select is enabling the next generation of microRNA research.  Most microRNA studies begin with very broad panel screens that help researchers identify specific microRNA’s of interest.  However, there are few products that allow for analysis and validation of smaller subsets of microRNAs.

FlexmiR Select allows researchers to create multiplexed customized microRNA panels consisting only of the microRNAs in which they are interested.  These flexible, customized panels assist in more efficient and focused microRNA analysis and more streamlined experiments. 

This product is a great innovation for microRNA researchers and further establishes Luminex in the microRNA research sector.  Our FlexmiR line of products is the only microRNA platform capable of both broad panel screens and smaller target validations. 
LBG has several new products in the pipeline in diverse applications that we look forward to unveiling in the coming year.

Looking Forward
With the increasing adoption of our xMAP technology, our expanding partner base and the new developments from LMD and LBG and our robust pipeline, Luminex has tremendous momentum as we embrace 2008 and beyond.

We appreciate the continued support of our partners, customers, employees and shareholders as we move forward with our efforts to improve science and healthcare through unparalleled technology, scientific innovation and business execution.  We welcome your feedback as we continue to grow, and look forward to reporting further exciting news in the months to come.

Patrick J. Balthrop, Sr.
President and Chief Executive Officer