Semi-Annual Changes to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. ("NASDAQ") (Nasdaq:NDAQ) announced the results of the semi-annual re-ranking of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index(Nasdaq:NBI), becoming effective with the market open on Monday, May 19, 2008.

The re-ranking will result in 5 securities being added to the Index. All securities are classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB) as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical. The securities that meet the classification criteria then must meet other Index eligibility criteria including listing on the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market and meeting minimum requirements for market value, average daily share volume and seasoning as a public company. The Index is ranked on a semi-annual basis in May and November. 

As a result of the re-ranking, AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq:AGIX), Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ANDS), CuraGen Corp. (Nasdaq:CRGN), Labopharm, Inc. (Nasdaq:DDSS), NitroMed, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTMD), Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:PANC), SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SCLN) and Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq:VRNM), will be removed from the Index.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is the basis for the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index Fund (AMEX:IBB), which seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. In addition, options based on the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index Fund trade on various exchanges.

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) also announced consolidated market performance statistics for its U.S. exchanges for the month of April 2008.

The NASDAQ Stock Market's average daily matched trade count in U.S.

equities increased 53% from last year.

For the thirteenth consecutive month, the NASDAQ Stock Market had the largest matched market share of U.S.-listed equities at 29.2%.

The NASDAQ Stock Market's average daily matched share volume in

NYSE-listed stocks increased 92.4% from April 2007.

ETF average daily share volume matched on The NASDAQ Stock Market increased 119.4% from one year ago.

The average daily value traded on NASDAQ OMX exchanges totaled USD 85.2 billion (EUR 54.1 billion) in April 2008 as compared with USD 60.1 billion (EUR 44.6 billion) in April 2007, representing an increase of 41.7% (21.3%). The average daily number of trades executed on NASDAQ OMX exchanges totaled 9.3 million in April 2008, representing a 52.2% increase from the same month last year.

The NASDAQ Stock Market's average daily matched volume in all U.S. securities was 2.0 billion shares in April 2008, an increase of 27% from April 2007. The NASDAQ Stock Market's average daily matched trade count in U.S. equities increased 53% from last year.

Average daily matched volume in NYSE-listed stocks was 829 million shares in April 2008, representing a 92.4% increase compared with the same period last year. Average daily matched volume in NASDAQ-listed securities was 839 million shares.

The NASDAQ Stock Market's matched share of U.S. equity volume in April 2008 was more than any other U.S. exchange for the thirteenth consecutive month at 29.2%, compared with 28.7% during the same period last year. NASDAQ's matched market share in NYSE-listed securities last month was 21.3%, up from 16.1% in April 2007.