Natural Molecular Testing Corporation Launches an Expanded Personalized Medicine Panel Built on Luminex Corporation's xMAP Technology

SEATTLE, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Molecular Testing Corporation (Natural Molecular, NMTC), a privately-owned company providing groundbreaking clinical diagnostic molecular testing and services in the medical genomics field, announced today the launch of their laboratory developed comprehensive Personalized Medicine Panel. This cardiac panel, commercialized by Natural Molecular, is comprised of 42 targets and built using Luminex Corporation's (NASDAQ: LMNX) xMAP® Technology. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100104/LUMINEXLOGO)

"Our goal is to bring the latest advancements in medical science and technology to help clinicians do one simple thing: provide the best possible care for their patients," said Beau R. Fessenden, CEO of Natural Molecular. "By converting to Luminex's xMAP technology, we can improve our throughput and workflow efficiency with more comprehensive and highly sensitive assays that set us apart in the marketplace. The flexibility and high throughput of the Luminex platform combined with the ability to add additional biomarkers make the technology unique and best suited to our expanding needs."

Each year more than 2 million Americans are hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions which lead to an estimated 100,000 deaths.¹  Molecular testing allows physicians to diagnose genetic abnormalities in  patients, providing guidance in selecting optimal medications and doses of medications while minimizing risk for a wide variety of common conditions such as chronic heart disease and pain. 

"We are excited to be expanding our relationship with Natural Molecular in the important area of pharmacogenomics," said Patrick Balthrop, president and CEO of Luminex. "It is valuable for a physician to know whether a specific therapeutic compound will be most beneficial for a particular patient. Through the use of genetic testing, driven by the throughput and scalability of our technology and the unique services of NMTC, our two companies are working together to optimize patient outcomes and lower overall health-care costs. We look forward to expanding opportunities with Natural Molecular, a leader in pharmacogenomic testing."

The financial terms of the multi-year collaboration and license agreement were not disclosed.

About Personalized Medicine Panel
Natural Molecular's new comprehensive Personalized Medicine Panel features a simple laboratory workflow based on Luminex's flexible xMAP Technology. Multiplexing a comprehensive set of biomarkers together from a single sample offers significant improvements in testing efficiency saving valuable time and increasing throughput. The panel includes the following:

CYP450 2C19
CYP450 2C9
CYP450 2D6
CYP450 3A4
CYP450 3A5
ABCB1
VKORC1
MTHFR
Factor II
Factor V Leiden

About Natural Molecular Testing Corporation

Natural Molecular Testing Corporation (NMTC) is a privately-owned, high-complexity molecular testing facility. NMTC provides comprehensive genetic testing solutions that improve patient care through the latest breakthroughs in genomic technology.

For more information about Natural Molecular Testing Corp., visit www.naturalmolecular.com

About Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ:  LMNX)

Luminex is committed to applying its passion for innovation toward advancing healthcare and research worldwide. 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. "Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Genotyping: Optimizing Patient Care Through Pharmacogenetics." Communique 30.9 (2005): Mayo Medical Laboratories. http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/

Natural Molecular Contact:

Media:
Ken Wallace
Natural Molecular Testing Corp
Director of Business Development
1-888-442-8881

Luminex Contact:

Investors:
Matt Scalo
Luminex Corporation
[email protected]
512.336.3587

Media:
Mimi Torrington
Luminex Corporation
[email protected]
512.219.8020

SOURCE Natural Molecular Testing Corporation; Luminex Corporation