Luminex Corporation Announces Group B Streptococcus (GBS), as a Launch Menu Assay for its New Sample-to-Answer System, ARIES™

AUSTIN, Texas, May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) today announced that Group B Streptococcus (group B strep, GBS) is the fifth assay planned for the launch menu of its new sample-to-answer system, ARIES™. The assay will complement Luminex's growing portfolio of ASR and IVD products. Previously announced items in the five assay launch menu targeted for the ARIES system include: Flu A/B and RSV, HSV 1&2, Norovirus, and Clostridium difficile (C. diff).

 "ARIES represents the next generation of sample-to-answer testing, simplifying workflow, and delivering accurate rapid results," said Patrick J. Balthrop, president and chief executive officer of Luminex. "Early detection of group B strep in pregnant women is important to prevent serious disease in infants. Our expanding menu of assays, universal protocol and flexible random batch capability provide unmatched ease of use and versatility for today's laboratories. Every day, we work to develop solutions that advance science and improve health." 

Infection with Group B Streptococcus is a leading cause of meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia in newborns. GBS is a type of bacteria that can cause illness in people of all ages; however, it is the most common cause of some life-threatening infections in newborns. Women colonized with GBS during pregnancy are at increased risk of transmitting the bacteria to their newborn infant during labor and delivery. CDC's guidelines recommend that a pregnant woman be screened for group B strep when she is 35 to 37 weeks pregnant.¹

ARIES GBS assay will deliver automated, sensitive results faster than culture methods, which can take several days for results and may require sub-culture to detect all strains. The ARIES GBS platform will deliver a streamlined workflow and generate rapid results with little hands-on time.

With a strong track record as an innovator and a leader in molecular diagnostics, Luminex Corporation will soon be the first company to offer multiplexed molecular panels as well as rapid, sample-to-answer testing with the introduction of its new ARIES system and menu of assays. 

Luminex is featuring its new ARIES System at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) May 10–13, booth #23 and at the upcoming American Society for Microbiology (ASM), May 17–20 in Boston, Massachusetts, booth #613.

For more information on Luminex products, please visit our website at www.luminexcorp.com.

About Group B Streptococcus (GBS)

Infection with Group B Streptococcus (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, is one of the most important infectious causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality, causing meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia in the newborns and their mothers. Women vaginally or rectally colonized with GBS during pregnancy are at increased risk of transmitting the bacteria to their newborn infant during labor and delivery. Vaginal GBS colonization has been reported to occur in about 12%–27% of women worldwide.²

About Luminex Corporation

Luminex is committed to applying its passion for innovation toward creating breakthrough solutions to improve health and advance science. The company is transforming global healthcare and life-science research through the development, manufacturing and marketing of proprietary instruments and assays utilizing xMAP® open-architecture multi-analyte platform, MultiCode® real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and multiplex PCR-based technologies, that deliver cost-effective rapid results to clinicians and researchers. Luminex's technology is commercially available worldwide and in use in leading clinical laboratories, as well as major pharmaceutical, diagnostic, biotechnology and life-science companies. Luminex is meeting the needs of customers in markets as diverse as clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical drug discovery, biomedical research including genomic and proteomic research, personalized medicine, biodefense research and food safety. For further information on Luminex Corporation and the latest advances in multiplexing using award winning technology, please visit http://www.luminexcorp.com/.

References

1. http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/about
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742968/

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

Luminex Media Contact
Mimi Torrington, 512.219.8020
Director of Marketing Communications
[email protected]

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SOURCE Luminex Corporation