(Source: Business Wire)Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVO) today provided the financial community with guidance regarding the Company's fiscal 2010 sales and earnings estimates. Based on the Company's business planning and budgeting activities for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, management expects net sales to be in the range of $160 to $165 million and per share diluted earnings to be between $0.90 and $0.95. The per share estimates assume an increase in average shares outstanding from approximately 41.2 million at fiscal 2009 year end to 41.3 million at fiscal 2010 year end. Net income is expected to increase between 15% and 20% from fiscal 2009 to fiscal 2010. The sales and earnings guidance provided in this press release is from expected internal growth and does not include the impact of any additional acquisitions the Company might complete during fiscal 2009 or 2010.

The Company also reaffirmed its fiscal 2009 guidance of net sales between $140 million and $144 million and per share-diluted earnings between $0.77 and $0.81 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009.

John A. Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We have been diligent in assessing Meridian's growth and profitability drivers for fiscal 2010 and we believe that this guidance is realistic. While the uncertainties of the economy are still a concern for most businesses, our infectious disease business appears to be more resistant to these downside forces. As is typical, our fiscal 2010 estimates do not consider additional revenues and income that might result from the launch of new tests and new technologies during the year. Likewise, our respiratory testing revenues are projected to increase at a moderate rate and we have avoided speculation on the potential impact of increased flu testing due to the prevalence of the H1N1 virus. Fiscal 2010 should yield another year of strong growth and we look forward to the introduction of illumigene, our new molecular testing platform, during the first half of the year."

William J. Motto, Executive Chairman of the Board, commented, "After a careful and rigorous analysis of our fiscal 2010 budget, we are comfortable with providing the financial community with our sales and earnings estimates as set forth in this press release. We look forward to introducing new products including our illumigene molecular-based platform. In addition, we will continue to look for acquisitions that fit our well-established and disciplined criteria.