Myriad Genetics ($MYGN) has struck an expanded deal to use its Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx as a companion diagnostic with AbbVie's ($ABBV) veliparib in helping to detect breast cancer.
The two companies already work together under previous agreements in which Myriad provides BRACAnalysis CDx testing for several AbbVie ongoing Phase 3 clinical studies of veliparib that include neo-adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer, the company said in a press release.
It touts the Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx as the most robust and accurate companion diagnostic test for identifying both germline (hereditary) and somatic (tumor) cancer-causing mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
"Myriad's goal is to provide best-in-class patient care, and we believe that Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx will help us deliver on this goal by identifying patients who may respond to breakthrough therapies currently in development," Peter Meldrum, Myriad chief executive, said in a statement.
Myriad has been scrambling since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling handed down in June 2013 invalidated the Utah-based company's patents on human genes, though it got to keep patents on complementary gene work, or cDNA. The company's MyRisk Hereditary Cancer multigene molecular diagnostic test has been at the forefront of Myriad's diversification and expansion efforts.
Prior to the high court's ruling, Myriad had maintained a huge market dominance in predictive breast cancer diagnostics involving BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing with its BRACAnalysis test. However, there's a plethora of competition these days, and a number of patent suits and countersuits involving Myriad and its rivals.
- check out the release