SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 07, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, today announced that it will submit its BRACAnalysis CDx® test for approval by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in parallel with the PMDA review of AstraZeneca’s novel PARP inhibitor, olaparib.
BRACAnalysis CDx is the leading genetic test to identify patients who are likely to benefit from treatment with olaparib, which is a novel PARP inhibitor that targets tumor DNA repair pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells.
"BRACAnalysis CDx launched precision medicine for ovarian cancer patients by identifying patients more likely to respond to PARP inhibitors," said Mark C. Capone, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics. "As a global leader in personalized medicine, Myriad is committed to providing the highest quality molecular tests in the fight against the world's most challenging diseases, including breast and ovarian cancers."
Today’s announcement builds on a long-term companion diagnostic collaboration with AstraZeneca that began in 2007. In December 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved BRACAnalysis CDx to identify ovarian cancer patients who may be appropriate for treatment with Lynparza™ (olaparib). It was the first time the FDA had approved a laboratory developed test (LDT) under the premarket approval application process.
About BRACAnalysis CDx®
BRACAnalysis CDx is an in vitro diagnostic device intended for the qualitative detection and classification of variants in the protein coding regions and intron/exon boundaries of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes using genomic DNA obtained from whole blood specimens. It is approved for use as a companion diagnostic with AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib) for patients with advanced ovarian cancer in the United States and Europe.
About Olaparib
Olaparib is the first in a class of drugs that act as inhibitors of poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), which exploit tumor DNA repair pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. It is marketed in the United States and Europe under the brand name Lynparza for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
About Myriad Genetics
Myriad Genetics Inc., is a leading personalized medicine company dedicated to being a trusted advisor transforming patient lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics. Myriad discovers and commercializes molecular diagnostic tests that: determine the risk of developing disease, accurately diagnose disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across six major medical specialties where molecular diagnostics can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. Myriad is focused on three strategic imperatives: transitioning and expanding its hereditary cancer testing markets, diversifying its product portfolio through the introduction of new products and increasing the revenue contribution from international markets. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: www.myriad.com.
Myriad, the Myriad logo, BART, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, EndoPredict, myPath, myRisk, Myriad myRisk, myRisk Hereditary Cancer, myChoice, myPlan, BRACAnalysis CDx, Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx, myChoice HRD, Vectra, Prolaris and GeneSight are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G
Note to Editors:
Lynparza is a trademark of AstraZeneca.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to submitting the Company’s BRACAnalysis CDx® test for approval by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in parallel with the PMDA review of AstraZeneca’s novel PARP inhibitor, olaparib; expanding the Company’s companion diagnostic collaboration with AstraZeneca; and the Company’s strategic directives under the caption “About BRACAnalysis CDx” and “About Myriad Genetics.” These “forward-looking statements” are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; risks related to our ability to transition from our existing product portfolio to our new tests; risks related to changes in the governmental or private insurers’ reimbursement levels for our tests or our ability to obtain reimbursement for our new tests at comparable levels to our existing tests; risks related to increased competition and the development of new competing tests and services; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services tests and any future tests are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over our genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we license or acquire, including but not limited to our acquisition of Assurex, Sividon and the Clinic; risks related to our projections about the potential market opportunity for our products; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of our patents; risks related to changes in intellectual property laws covering our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and patents or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decision in the lawsuit brought against us by the Association for Molecular Pathology et al; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; the risk that we may be unable to comply with financial operating covenants under our credit or lending agreements; the risk that we will be unable to pay, when due, amounts due under our credit or lending agreements; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 1A of our Annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K.