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Luminex Corporation

lmnx · NASDAQ Financial Services
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Ticker lmnx
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Financial Services
Industry Asset Management - Leveraged
Employees 501-1000
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FY2010 Annual Report · Luminex Corporation
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www.luminexcorp.com

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Luminex is dedicated  
to our mission to impact  
the health, safety and 
quality of life for people  
around the world.
Leading. Innovating. Growing.
Multiplexed Solutions. For Life.

15 Years of Leadership, Innovation and Growth.

Since our founding in 1995, Luminex has pioneered the science of simultaneously detecting multiple 

substances in a single biological sample, commonly known as multiplexing. Today, xMAP® Technology 

is a leader in its class. From basic research to new laboratory tests and medicines, from agricultural  

science to bioterrorism initiatives, Luminex Corporation develops solutions that transform markets  

and improve lives by utilizing world-class innovation to deliver efficiency and productivity for  

our customers. 

Performance 
Highlights

cOnsumable 
revenue grOwth

Up 41 percent

2010 revenues reached 
a recOrd $40.1 milliOn 

annual grOss prOfit

Up $15.1 million

grOss prOfit margin fOr  
2010 was 68 percent

assay revenue Of

$32.2 million

recOrd sales in 2010 

system revenue

Up 7 percent

luminex had system revenue  
Of $33.0 milliOn 

cash and investments
at end Of 2010

$123.9 million

luminex has a strOng 
balance sheet with 
minimal cash burn 

rOyalty 
revenue grOwth 
Up 22 percent

rOyalty revenues
reached $22.4 milliOn 

system placements 

Up 14 percent

7,700 systems shipped  
thrOugh 2010

annual
Operating margin

Up 182 basis pts.

2010 Operating margin 
expanded tO 8%

Overall
annual revenue

Up 17 percent

2010 revenues were  
$141.6 milliOn 

Letter to 
Shareholders

2010 was another record year of progress for Luminex. Leveraging 

a major milestone for our company, as it will be instrumental to building 

our proprietary xMAP® Technology, we delivered record total revenue 

future growth. 

and executed on our strategic growth plan. Every day, our dedicated 

employees focus on our mission of making a positive impact on the 

health, safety and quality of life for people around the world. 

We were pleased to have been recognized again as one of America’s 

fastest-growing companies by Forbes and by Fortune. This industry 

recognition is confirmation of the dedication of our employees and  

Our commitment resulted in strong growth across our key revenue 

the highest commitment to excellence across our company.

segments, consumables, royalties and instruments. We successfully 

launched our latest exciting instrument platform, MAGPIX®. Our 

consumables and royalties reached new highs driven by the continued 

development, expansion and market penetration of our partners. And  

we grew our installed base of instruments to 7,700, representing  

a market-leading position upon which to build future growth.

We are proud of our achievements and confident that Luminex will 

continue on our growth trajectory. But we are not satisfied. The 

opportunities before us are significant, and the strategic advantages  

that we have provide us with the ability to seize these opportunities. 

We are determined to continue to deliver on our commitments to our 

customers, our partners, our employees and our shareholders by driving 

The Luminex Assay and Related Products Group made significant 

growth and building long-term value. 

contributions to our success. Our xTAG® Respiratory Viral Panel led the 

market in 2010 and was honored with the prestigious Prix Galien award 

for scientific achievement. Our Cystic Fibrosis product line was also a 

growth driver for the company. We successfully acquired and integrated 

BSD, strengthening our product offerings and expanding our geographic 

footprint in the Asia Pacific region. In 2011, we look forward to more exciting 

products, including xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel, NeoPlex4™ and 

the expansion of our Nucleic Acid assay product line in life science research. 

The Luminex Technology and Strategic Partnerships Group grew 

aggressively in 2010. Led by our innovation and with continued 

investment from our partners, our most profitable line items, 

consumables and royalties, grew at 41% and 22% respectively. During 

2010 we were particularly pleased to extend our partnership with our 

decade long partner One Lambda, the worldwide leader in advanced 

transplant diagnostics. Along with our partners, we drove our industry-

As we execute our strategic growth plan, we remain focused on delivering 

innovative and differentiated new platform and assay solutions that  

will improve quality and outcomes while also reducing healthcare costs. 

In addition, we expect to invest in and expand our commercial efforts,  

and to accelerate market penetration in our core international markets  

while we aggressively enter new ones. 

Thank you for your investment in Luminex. We look forward to a bright 

future together as we deliver Multiplexed Solutions. For Life.

Sincerely,

leading installed base of multiplexing instruments, a key strategic asset 

Patrick J. Balthrop, Sr. 

to accelerate growth. Furthermore, the successful delivery of MAGPIX was 

Chief Executive Officer and President

revenue mix

2008

10%

2009

10%

2010

10%

27%

63%

26%

64%

23%

67%

Royalty, Consumable and Assay

System

Other

consumable revenue
(in millions)

28% CAGR

2007–2010

royalty revenue
(in millions)

30% CAGR

2007–2010

$40.1

$22.4

$31.7

$28.4

$18.3

$14.9

$19.2

$10.2

2007

2008

2009

2010

2007

2008

2009

2010

assay revenue
(in millions)

42% CAGR

2007–2010

system revenue
(in millions)

$31.0 $32.2

11% CAGR

2007–2010

$33.0

$30.7

$28.1

$24.4

$18.7

$11.3

total revenue (in millions)
27% CAGR

2005–2010

$141.6

$120.6

$104.4

$75.0

$53.0

$42.3

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

$160

$140

$120

$100

$  80

$  60

$  40

$  20

$   0

Operating margin
9%

6%

3%

0%

-3%

-23%

2006
// Not to scale

2007

2008

2009

2010

five year cumulative total return*
(among Luminex Corporation, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index)

$200

$180

$160

$140

$120

$100

$  80

$  60

$  40

$    0

2007

2008

2009

2010

2007

2008

2009

2010

Luminex Corporation

NASDAQ Composite

NASDAQ Biotechnology

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

*$100 invested on 12/31/05 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.

C H U C K   C O L L I N S ,   P H . D .
S E N I O R   D I R E C T O R   
A D V A N C E D   T E C H N O L O G Y   G R O U P 
L U M I N E X   C O R P O R A T I O N

“ Every day we are dedicated to innovating 

new products that enable scientists, 

academics and clinicians to advance 

their research with the end goal of 

improving lives for people around the 

world. MAGPIX is a great example of  

how our team addressed customer needs 

by developing a system that allows  

xMAP Technology to move into smaller 

labs and remote locations to better  

serve patients.”

Innovation

Luminex is committed to driving ongoing innovation through 
our investment in research and development. In 2010, we 
made tremendous progress in advancing our product pipeline. 
We introduced our newest system, MAGPIX,® which broadens 
our system portfolio and opens new market segments. Based 
on Luminex’s xMAP® Technology, the MAGPIX instrument 
is compact, robust and easy-to-use, making it attractive to 
laboratories and institutions with limited bench space and 
resources. The instrument provides fast, accurate and easily 
reproducible results that can advance research across many 
disease states by bringing a broad array of multiplexing 
applications to scientists.

The MAGPIX system uses an innovative detection mechanism 
that leverages our xMAP Technology. The new mechanism 
employs the use of advanced light-emitting diode (LED) 
technology to capture test results, making the system robust, 
flexible and cost-effective. MAGPIX saves vital time in the 
laboratory, produces faster results and requires less sample 
input than existing legacy technologies. Like other Luminex 
instruments, MAGPIX is versatile and flexible and can be used 
to analyze both nucleic acids and proteins. 

MAGPIX’s design and robust engineering make it ideal for 
customer applications. Luminex is pleased that our first 
commercial instrument was delivered to a scientific team at 
the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, where 
it is being used to advance critical malaria research. We are 
proud to be able to support dedicated scientists like these who 
are working to discover solutions to perplexing health threats 
around the globe.

To further support our instrument portfolio and our end users, 
we are actively engaged in both internal development programs 
and external automation projects. In 2010, we developed 
relationships with leading firms who are innovators in liquid 
handling to help our customers automate Luminex solutions. 

In addition to our instrumentation initiatives, Luminex and 
our partners introduced new assays that broaden the scope 
and power of xMAP Technology. In August, we launched the 
broadest available FDA 510(k)-cleared assay to detect genetic 
mutations associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). The new xTAG® 
CF60 Kit v2 simultaneously determines whether a single blood 
sample has up to 60 of the more common disease-causing 
mutations, providing test results in just a few hours. 

Building on our success in instruments, assays and technology, 
Luminex partners with market leaders that leverage our 
technology to discover innovative solutions that meet the 
needs of our customers around the globe. Our partner network 
extends from scientists seeking revolutionary discoveries, to 
those developing innovative clinical diagnostics, treatments, 
food safety assays and homeland security initiatives. 

With our new partner High Throughput Genomics, Inc. (HTG),  
we co-developed and launched the qBead™ Gene Expression 
Assay. qBead is designed for researchers studying how genes 
are activated and suppressed in disease versus normal states. 
From this, they ascertain a better understanding of how such 
diseases develop, and can identify new targets for drug discovery. 
HTG’s proprietary technology enables research on difficult-to-
handle samples, including extensive tissue archives. 

In the early part of the year, Luminex also established an exciting 
new technology partnership with Advanced Liquid Logic, LLC. 
This partnership leverages our proprietary technologies to 
co-develop products with the promise to improve quality and 
patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs. Advanced 
Liquid Logic’s patented technology for nano-liquid-handling, 
called digital microfluidics, enables highly flexible devices that 
can be configured with virtually any assay protocol.

“ One Lambda and Luminex combined the power of Luminex’s xMAP® Technology with One Lambda’s expertise 

in HLA testing and organ transplantation to dramatically advance the care available to those undergoing 

transplants,” said George Ayoub, president and CEO of One Lambda. “Our partnership has significantly 

enhanced healthcare providers’ ability to care for organ transplant patients by delivering vital information 

that helps them to better match donors with recipients.”

— George Ayoub, CEO, One Lambda

Growth

In 2010, we successfully delivered across all elements of 
our strategic plan, growing our revenue and pipeline across 
assays, instruments and geographies. Forbes named Luminex 
Corporation one of the top 25 fastest-growing technology 
companies for the second consecutive year, while Fortune 
added us to its list of 100 fastest-growing companies across 
all industries. This recognition reflects our commitment to 
sustained growth.

Patients with these genetic variations are more likely to 
experience adverse drug reactions to medications acted upon 
by CYP2D6, putting them at increased risk of dangerous drug-
induced side effects, interactions or therapeutic failure. Our 
new test, which received FDA 510(k) clearance from the U.S. 
Food and Drug Administration, can help physicians prescribe 
medications that will more effectively benefit patients through 
the knowledge of their 2D6 status. 

Expansion into new markets is a key component of our growth 
plan. In 2010, we strengthened our presence in Asia, a growth 
market critical to the life sciences sector, growing our business 
in the People’s Republic of China and in Japan. With one of 
the highest growth rates in clinical laboratory equipment and 
reagent sales, China is Asia’s second-largest laboratory  products 
market. Our xMAP Technology is currently used across China, 
with instruments found in leading research institutions and 
major medical centers nationwide. 

We also expanded further in the Asia Pacific region through 
our acquisition of BSD Robotics, based in Brisbane, Australia. 
BSD’s specialization and leading position in robotic, dry sample 
automation for newborn screening and forensic applications 
places us squarely in strategic markets that we are set to enter 
more broadly with new assays and systems in 2011.

In addition to our geographic expansion, Luminex entered the 
dynamic field of personalized medicine, which seeks to provide 
more effective health care through individualized treatments 
that are tailored to a patient’s unique genetic profile. Launched 
in November, the in-vitro diagnostic assay, xTAG® CYP2D6 kit 
measures an enzyme that is involved in the metabolism of 
approximately one-fourth of all prescription drugs, from beta 
blockers to opioids. 

We also continued to grow our core product lines. Increased 
awareness of respiratory viral testing due to the 2009 H1N1 
outbreak persisted into 2010. We grew our xTAG Respiratory 
Viral Panel (RVP) customer base domestically and internationally, 
and are well positioned for the upcoming North American 
launch of our new RVP Fast assay.

Our partners also grew their core products from instrument 
placements to assay sales. The healthy double-digit growth 
we experienced in both royalties and consumables reflects our 
partners’ commitment to our platform.

We were delighted to renew our decade-long partnership 
with One Lambda, the leader in transplant science with their 
best-in-class HLA-typing and antibody detection assays. 
Our joint application of xMAP Technology has transformed 
transplantation diagnostics — making the process faster, more 
efficient and more accurate, which translates to more effective 
matching between organ donors and patient recipients. 

Future growth in specialty markets is also strategically 
important over the long term. In 2010, Luminex continued our 
biothreat programs as well as initiatives in food safety. We 
look forward to continuing these relationships and reporting 
advances in these developmental programs in 2011.

S I M O N   S H E N G 
C H I N A   B U S I N E S S   M A N A G E R 
L U M I N E X   C O R P O R A T I O N

“ Our expansion into China and other 

key geographies throughout Asia 

Pacific, as well as an increasingly 

diverse portfolio of assays and 

instruments, has Luminex well 

positioned for accelerated growth. 

There is strong demand for our 

technology and many growth 

opportunities in the years ahead.”

 
The Prix Galien Award recognizes the technical, scientific and clinical research skills necessary to 

develop innovative medicines, and is considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize. Luminex’s innovative 

xTAG® Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) was named Best Medical Technology.

Looking Forward

While we recognize this year’s achievements and progress, we 
are enthusiastic about the future. Our pipeline is robust and  
full of exciting new products with significant potential. We have 
a strong and expanding set of partners who are committed to 
our platform and working with us to grow synergistically. Our 
research and development activities continue to progress at a 
rapid pace. 

A strategic initiative for us is the development of an assay 
panel targeting the most common gastrointestinal pathogens. 
Gastrointestinal (GI) disease, a major cause of morbidity and 
mortality worldwide, has multiple etiological causes (viruses, 
bacteria and parasites) that present with similar symptoms  
(e.g. diarrhea). Luminex’s xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen 
Panel (GPP) has the potential to be a very high-impact assay 
in the diagnosis of these GI and diarrheal infections, which 
affect millions of people around the world each year and have 
a significant mortality rate. Accurate and timely diagnosis is 
a challenge to treating at-risk patients suffering from these 
diseases because depending upon the cause, treatment options 
vary, often delaying therapeutic intervention which, in turn, has 
serious consequences.

xTAG GPP is designed to detect multiple variants of bacteria, 
viruses, toxin genes, parasites and other disease-causing 
agents from a single sample within a few short hours. Currently 
available diagnostics for many of these analytes require lengthy 
cell culture or sequential testing, which can require days before 

returning definitive results. xTAG GPP has the potential to 
shorten hospital stays, avert inappropriate use of antibiotics 
and dramatically reduce costs associated with GI infections.  
We currently plan to launch xTAG GPP in Europe in 2011.

We are extremely pleased with our progress in advancing our 
assay pipeline, not only in infectious disease but also in newborn 
screening. We expect to submit our NeoPlex4™ Assay for CE 
marking in the second half of 2011. While newborn screening 
(NBS) labs struggle to do more with less amid budget cuts 
and reduced levels of funding, NeoPlex4 will combine some of 
the most common analytes included in NBS panels into one 
test — consolidating work flows, increasing efficiencies and 
reducing costs. Additionally, given the very high volume of 
tests processed by these labs each day, we are committed to 
developing a solution that addresses the need for automation. 
To that end, we signed an agreement with Tecan Group, the 
recognized leader in laboratory automation, to co-develop a 
sample-to-result system for NeoPlex4 users, which we expect  
to be ready in time for launch. 

Finally, our organization comprises a group of talented people 
who are committed to making a difference with our customers, 
partners and, most of all, patients. By maintaining our focus 
on innovation and addressing previously unmet clinical 
research and customer needs, we will continue to thrive as 
an organization, lead in the market, grow our business and 
innovate new solutions to improve human health. 

D R .   A R U N D H A T I   R A O ,   M D ,   P H . D . 
A S S O C I A T E   P R O F E S S O R   
A N D   S E C T I O N   C H I E F   O F   M O L E C U L A R   P A T H O L O G Y   
S C O T T   &   W H I T E   H E A L T H C A R E

“ Respiratory disorders affect millions of people each year and 

can be caused by a variety of different viruses. They often 

require multiple sequential tests for accurate diagnosis.  

The xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel enables us to look at 

12 different viruses simultaneously with a significantly 

shortened turn-around time. In addition to improving 

patient outcomes with accurate therapy because of the 

rapidly available diagnosis, we can get new insights into  

the epidemiology of respiratory diseases.”

corporate Officers and vice presidents

board of directors

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

Russell W. Bradley
Vice President
Business Development
and Strategic Planning

Jeremy Bridge-Cook, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
Assay Group

Harriss T. Currie
Chief Financial Officer 
Vice President
Treasurer

Timothy R. Dehne
Vice President
Systems Research
and Development

Michael F. Pintek
Senior Vice President
Operations

David S. Reiter
Vice President
General Counsel
and Corporate Secretary

Amy L. Altman, Ph.D.
Vice President
Biodefense

Steven Back
Vice President
Manufacturing and  
Quality Surveillance

Thomas J. Copa
Vice President
Life Science Research  
and Food Safety

Andrew D. Ewing 
Vice President
Partner and Operations  
Development

Gregory J.  Gosch
Vice President
Immunodiagnostics

Nancy Krunic, Ph.D.
Vice President
Luminex Molecular
Diagnostics

Darin S. Leigh
Vice President
Commercial Operations

Oliver H. Meek
Vice President
Quality Assurance  
and Regulatory Affairs 

Jim D. Kever (2)
Member, Voyent Partners, LLC
Director, 3D Systems Corporation
Director, Emdeon, Inc.
Director, Tyson Foods, Inc.

Kevin M. McNamara (3)
Retired Executive Vice 
President, Chief Financial 
Officer and Treasurer of 
HealthSprings, Inc.
Director, Tyson Foods, Inc.

Edward A. Ogunro, Ph.D. (4) (5)
Retired Senior Vice President, 
R&D and Medical Affairs  
and Chief Scientific Officer, 
Hospira, Inc.

Gerard Vaillant  (2) (5)
Retired Company Group
Chairman, Johnson & Johnson
Chairman, Safeorthopedics
Director, Tecan AG

(1) Member of the Executive Committee
(2) Member of the Compensation Committee
(3) Member of the Audit Committee 
(4)  Member of the Nominating and  

Corporate Governance Committee

(5)  Member of the Strategy and  
Development Committee

G. Walter Loewenbaum, II (1)
Chief Executive Officer  
and Chairman of the Board,  
Mumboe Corp.
Chairman of the Board,  
3D Systems Corporation

Patrick J. Balthrop, Sr. (1) (5)
Chief Executive Officer  
and President

Robert J. Cresci (3) (4)
Managing Director, Pecks
Management Partners Ltd.
Director, ContinuCare Corporation
Director, j2 Global 
Communications, Inc.

Thomas W. Erickson (1) (3)
Retired Senior Advisor to  
New Mountain Capital, LLC
Chairman of the Board, Inmar, Inc.
Director, American Renal  
Holdings, Inc.

Fred C. Goad, Jr. (2) (4)
Member, Voyent Partners, Inc.

Jay B. Johnston (2) (5)
Retired Corporate Vice 
President for Diagnostic 
Assays and Systems, Abbott 
Laboratories
Chairman of the Board,  
QuesTek Innovations, LLC

independent registered public accountants
Ernst & Young LLP
Austin, Texas

annual meeting of stockholders
The annual meeting of stockholders will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2011,  
at 10:00 a.m. local time at the Austin Airport Hilton, Austin, Texas.

transfer agent and registrar
Mellon Investor Services, LLC
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
1.866.635.6965

form 10-K/investor contact
A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities  
and Exchange Commission, may be obtained from the Company at no charge.  
Requests for the Annual Report on Form 10-K and other investor information should 
be directed to Investor Relations at the Company’s corporate office or  
www.luminexcorp.com or by e-mail to: investor@luminexcorp.com

cautionary note regarding 
forward-looking statements
This report contains forward-looking statements 
(all statements other than those made solely with 
respect to historical fact) under the Private Securities 
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking 
statements, including statements regarding our 
future financial position, business strategy, new 
products, assay sales, budgets, liquidity, cash flows, 
projected costs, litigation costs, including the costs 
or impact of any litigation settlements or orders, 
regulatory approvals or the impact of any laws or 
regulations applicable to us, and plans and objectives 
of management for future operations, are subject to 
known and unknown risks and uncertainties (some of 
which are beyond the Company’s control) that could 
cause actual results to differ materially and adversely 
from those anticipated in the forward-looking 
statements. See the Company’s 10-K filing for 
more detailed disclosure regarding forward-looking 
statements and associated risks and uncertainties.

luminex locations

united states headquarters
Luminex Corporation
12212 Technology Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78727
United States
512.219.8020

canada
Luminex Molecular Diagnostics
439 University Avenue, Suite 900
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Y8
Canada
416.593.4323

europe
Luminex B.V.
Krombraak 15
4906 Oosterhout
The Netherlands
+31.16.240.8333

Japan
Luminex Japan  
Corporation Ltd.
Kamiyacho Sankei Bldg 3F
1-7-2 Azabudai
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0041
Japan
+81.3.5545.7440

australia
BSD Robotics, a Luminex Company
Building 1, 243 Bradman Street
Acacia Ridge
Brisbane, Queensland 4110
Australia
+617.3273.0273

china
Luminex Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
Unit 6405, Building 6
No. 339 Cai Lun Rd.
Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park
Pudong District
Shanghai 201203  
P. R. China
+021.61650809/61650810