Luminex Corporation Receives FDA Clearance for ARIES Bordetella Assay

AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) today announced that it has received FDA clearance for the ARIES^® Bordetella Assay for direct detection and identification of Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) and Bordetella parapertussis (B. parapertussis) nucleic acid in nasopharyngeal swab specimens obtained from individuals suspected of having a respiratory tract infection attributable to B. pertussis or B. parapertussis. This is the fourth assay the FDA has cleared since October 2015 for use on Luminex's ARIES^® Systems. The company has also achieved CE-IVD marking for the ARIES^® Bordetella Assay, is preparing to submit its Clostridium difficile assay to the FDA later this month, and is in the process of completing a Group A Streptococcus clinical trial as it seeks to further expand its ARIES^® menu.

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the organism Bordetella pertussis. This infection can lead to life-threatening complications in infants and young children. Worldwide, there are an estimated 16 million cases of pertussis and about 195,000 deaths per year. The CDC states that there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis in the United States since the 1980s. 

According to the CDC, "Early signs and symptoms of pertussis are often non-specific, making it difficult to determine clinically who has pertussis in the earliest stages. However, only patients with signs and symptoms consistent with pertussis should be tested by PCR to confirm the diagnosis." They note that testing asymptomatic persons should be avoided due to the likelihood of obtaining false-positive results. The ARIES^® Bordetella Assay is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based qualitative in vitro diagnostic test that targets the pertussis toxin (ptxA) promoter and IS1001 repeat sequence in the genomes of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, respectively.

John W. Longshore Ph.D., Director of Molecular Pathology at the Carolinas HealthCare System, commented: "Healthcare systems like ours will benefit from having a molecular assay for B. pertussis and B. parapertussis available in a moderate complexity sample to answer format. The newly cleared Bordetella assay from Luminex should aid in efficient patient diagnosis and B. pertussis reporting to the CDC."

ARIES^® Systems automate all aspects of testing, from sample preparation through analysis, providing answers in less than 2 hours with minimal hands-on time. The ARIES^® Bordetella Assay is part of Luminex's comprehensive respiratory testing menu that also includes: ARIES^® Flu A/B & RSV, VERIGENE^® RP Flex, and NxTAG^® RPP.

"The high specificity of our Bordetella Assay combined with the rapid results provided by the ARIES^® platform should lead to more positive patient outcomes," according to Homi Shamir, President and Chief Executive Officer of Luminex. "The ARIES^® Bordetella Assay is a cost-effective option for lower volume labs desiring high-performance molecular testing, and is part of a growing menu of tests from Luminex that can be adapted to fit the respiratory testing needs of any clinic."

About ARIES^® Systems

ARIES^® Systems are sample to answer molecular diagnostic systems designed to increase laboratory efficiency, ensure result accuracy, and fit seamlessly into today's lean laboratory environment. ARIES^® uses internal barcode scanning and other advanced features to minimize operator errors. Independent modules support from one to six cassettes, allowing for both STAT and batch testing of IVD assays and laboratory developed tests (LDTs) with MultiCode^® Reagents when using a universal assay protocol. An integrated touchscreen PC eliminates the need for a separate computer, standalone keyboard, and mouse, maximizing valuable bench space.

To learn more or request a demo, visit: http://www.luminexcorp.com/ARIES

About Luminex Corporation

At Luminex, our mission is to empower labs to obtain reliable, timely, and actionable answers, ultimately advancing health.  We offer a wide range of solutions applicable in diverse markets including clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical drug discovery, biomedical research, genomic and proteomic research, biodefense research, and food safety. We accelerate reliable answers while simplifying complexity and deliver certainty with a seamless experience. To learn more about Luminex, please visit us at www.luminexcorp.com.

Statements made in this release that express Luminex's or management's intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations or predictions of future events are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding the available market and customer acceptance for ARIES^®, future revenue growth anticipated for ARIES^®, and the development, testing and regulatory approval progress of our pipeline products, including ARIES^® related assays. The words "believe", "expect", "intend", "anticipates", "confident", "will", "could", "should",  and similar expressions are intended to further identify such forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is important to note that the Company's actual results or performance could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Luminex's actual results or performance to differ materially include risks and uncertainties relating to, among others, our ability to launch products on time, the timing of regulatory approvals, the outcome of clinical trials as well as the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Luminex's Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of Luminex as of the date of this press release, and Luminex expressly disclaims any intent, obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in Luminex's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Contacts:

Luminex Investor Contact
Harriss Currie, 512.219.8020
Sr. Vice President of Finance and CFO
[email protected]

Luminex Media Contact
Christine Valle, 512.219.8020
Sr. Manager, Global Marketing Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Luminex Corporation