News Release Details

LabCorp(R) Completes Acquisition of Esoterix, Inc.

May 11, 2005 at 4:17 PM EDT

BURLINGTON, N.C., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings (LabCorp(R)) (NYSE: LH) today announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Esoterix, Inc. and subsidiaries, a leading provider of specialty reference testing.

About LabCorp

Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings, an S&P 500 company with a BBB investment-grade credit rating, is a pioneer in commercializing new diagnostic technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With annual revenues of $3.1 billion in 2004, approximately 24,000 employees nationwide, and more than 220,000 clients, LabCorp offers clinical assays ranging from blood analyses to HIV and genomic testing. LabCorp combines its expertise in innovative clinical testing technology with its Centers of Excellence: The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, in Research Triangle Park, NC; National Genetics Institute, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA; ViroMed Laboratories, Inc. based in Minneapolis, MN; The Center for Esoteric Testing in Burlington, NC; DIANON Systems, Inc. based in Stratford, CT, and US LABS based in Irvine, CA. LabCorp clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies. To learn more about our growing organization, visit our web site at: www.LabCorp.com .

Each of the above forward-looking statements is subject to change based on various important factors, including without limitation, competitive actions in the marketplace and adverse actions of governmental and other third-party payors. Actual results could differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. Further information on potential factors that could affect LabCorp's financial results is included in the Company's Form 10- K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and subsequent SEC filings.

SOURCE  Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
    -0-                             05/11/2005
    /CONTACT:  Scott Fleming of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings,
+1-336-436-4879, or Shareholder Direct, +1-800-LAB-0401/
    /Web site:  http://www.labcorp.com /
    (LH)

CO:  Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings; Esoterix, Inc.
ST:  North Carolina
IN:  HEA MTC BIO
SU:  TNM

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