It was a rough October for the lab industry and the G-2 Laboratory Stock Index, which was down 29 percent over the past five weeks and 30 percent so far this year. But in the last two weeks the Index has leveled out, according to up-to-the-minute tracking of the Index available on www.g2reports.com.

To get a sense of how the industry is weathering this turbulence,
LIR talked to a number of industry executives over the past month and found that many are taking a steady approach and continue to feel confident about the overall health of their companies and the industry. "Our stock price has moved up and down due to recent market volatility, but overall we have held up well," said specialty test provider Genoptix’s CEO, Tina Nova. "We are seeing some of our venture capital investors moving out of the stock, so there was some associated downward pressure this summer. However, the investment community seems to understand that our exposure to broader economics is somewhat limited right now."

November 2008 - Table of Contents

LIR November 2008 (full PDF issue)

Lab Stocks Level Out After October Plunge; Six Execs Offer Views on Latest Economic Developments

Hospital Referral Expense per Reportable Result Expected to Drop 11% by Year End

Survey Finds Many Starting Salaries for Pathologists Are Between $100k and $250k

Inside the Lab Industry: Lab Execs See Economy Driving More Consolidation, Will Push New Administration for Higher Reimbursement

Response Genetics Teams With NeoGenomics to Expand Cancer Testing Sales Effort

Industry Veterans Plunge Into Dental Mol Dx Market With Launch of OralDNA Labs

High Rates of Test Ordering, Reporting Errors in Physician Offices Highlight Role for Labs

Lab Stocks Dip Sharply; Down 29% Over 5 Weeks, 30% for Year

FDA Threatens LabCorp With Regulatory Action Over OvaSure Claims

Nebraska’s Pathology Services Saves $3k a Year by Paying Customer Service Reps More