Illumina Announces Collaboration with Established Clinical Research Institute to Develop Molecular Diagnostics for Complex Diseases

Business Wire, Jan 9, 2007

SAN DIEGO -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) and Mayo Clinic announced today that they have signed a diagnostic collaborative agreement to enable the co-development of molecular diagnostic tests for the study of complex diseases. The agreement recognizes the strengths of both organizations. Illumina will contribute its VeraCode([TM]) technology and development expertise for the BeadArray([TM]) and BeadXpress([TM]) instrument platforms. Mayo Clinic will bring broad knowledge in clinical practice and patient outcome management along with proficiency in establishing clinical utility of new diagnostic technologies. In addition, Mayo's ability to discover and validate biomarkers offers the potential for both parties to implement important new clinical tests.

"We began working with Mayo Clinic in early 2005 when we installed a BeadLab system in their Rochester, Minnesota location. We are now delighted to collaborate with an organization of such vision and expertise in both its scientific and clinical fields," said Jay Flatley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Illumina. "Expanding our relationship with Mayo Clinic, one of the country's leading medical institutions, represents an important step in the revolution of our diagnostics strategy. With the world market in molecular diagnostics estimated at over two billion dollars, we are eager to develop tools that can improve healthcare for patients with a broad range of unmet needs," said Jorge Velarde, Senior Director of Business Development.

Terms of the agreement enable the implementation of new clinical tests within Mayo's clinical practice and Mayo Medical Laboratories. Additionally, Illumina will manufacture and market tests worldwide on Illumina's BeadArray and upcoming BeadXpress Reader.

About BeadArray, VeraCode and BeadXpress

Illumina's patented BeadArray technology achieves a level of array miniaturization that allows for a new scale of experimentation. An array is a collection of miniaturized test sites arranged on a surface that permits many tests, or assays, to be performed in parallel. By arranging our analytical devices into a multi-sample Array of Arrays([TM]) format, one can process in parallel thousands to millions of assays, a throughput significantly beyond the capability of any technology known to us.

Illumina's VeraCode technology leverages the power of digital holographic codes to provide a robust detection method for multiplexed assays requiring high precision, accuracy and speed. This state of the art technology, combined with Illumina's BeadXpress Reader, supports the rapid detection and analysis of a wide range of assays with industry leading multiplexing capability. For more information please visit www.illumina.com/veracode.> About Mayo Clinic

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic maintains an active diagnostic test development program. These activities also incorporate technologies from collaborations with diagnostic and biotechnology companies. Mayo utilizes these proven diagnostic technologies in the care of its patients and offers them to more than 5,000 health care institutions around the world through Mayo Medical Laboratories (MML). Revenue from MML testing is used to support medical education and research at Mayo Clinic.

About Illumina

Illumina (www.illumina.com) develops and markets next-generation tools for the large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function. The Company's proprietary BeadArray technology -- used in leading genomics centers around the world -- provides the throughput, cost effectiveness and flexibility necessary to enable researchers in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries to perform the billions of tests necessary to extract medically valuable information from advances in genomics and proteomics. This information will help pave the way to personalized medicine by correlating genetic variation and gene function with particular disease states, enhancing drug discovery, allowing diseases to be detected earlier and more specifically, and permitting better choices of drugs for individual patients.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties associated with the agreement between Illumina and Mayo Clinic discussed in this press release; the costs and outcome of Illumina's litigation with Affymetrix, the Company's ability to scale and integrate CyVera technology, the ability to further scale oligo synthesis output and technology to satisfy market demand deriving from the Company's collaboration with Invitrogen, Illumina's ability to further develop and commercialize its BeadArray technologies and to deploy new gene expression and genotyping products and applications for its platform technology, to manufacture robust Sentrix(R) arrays -- including HumanHap BeadChips -- and Oligator(R) oligonucleotides, and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. Illumina disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements beyond the date of this release.