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SALT LAKE CITY, Jan 6, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN) announced today it has entered into an agreement with Mammography Reporting System, Inc. (MRS) to help increase the identification of patients at high risk for hereditary breast cancer.
Under the terms of the agreement, MRS will incorporate "risk flags" for hereditary breast cancer risk in their breast cancer tracking software. This will enable medical professionals at mammography screening centers throughout the country to identify patients who would benefit from hereditary breast cancer testing using Myriad's BRACAnalysis(R) breast cancer predisposition test. According to a study published by Hughes, et al. in Breast Journal, up to 6% of women in mammography centers, or approximately 2.4 million women, are at high risk for hereditary breast cancer and are appropriate candidates for BRACAnalysis(R) testing.
"Millions of patients are tracked on MRS software. Identifying high-risk patients will result in even better patient care," said Mark P. Morris, CEO of Mammography Reporting System Inc. "We now offer the radiologist built-in tools to identify those patients, and we are very excited about working with Myriad on improving these tools. Working in concert with the patients' primary care physician, radiologists who use MRS software can identify and recommend increased surveillance and BRCA gene testing for those patients who are at high risk."
"Imaging centers represent an ideal healthcare setting where patients at risk for hereditary cancer can be identified, thereby enabling an appropriate level of monitoring and preventive care," stated Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. "This approach broadens and compliments Myriad's efforts to improve the healthcare of women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer by identifying a greater number of candidates for BRACAnalysis(R) testing."
BRACAnalysis(R) is Myriad's predictive diagnostic test to assess a woman's risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer based on detection of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Myriad estimates that less than 10% of mutation carriers for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been identified in the United States. While Myriad's sales force currently addresses the Ob/Gyn community, mammography centers represent a new and an ideal channel to identify those women at increased risk. It is anticipated that this agreement will provide Myriad with greater penetration into the asymptomatic market - women who do not have breast or ovarian cancer but have a family history. Myriad will assist MRS customers in these mammography centers by providing educational materials and resources to enable health care providers to address the needs of those patients identified as being at high risk for hereditary breast cancer.
About Mammography Reporting System
MRS is the leading provider of breast procedure information systems in the United States. More than 2,400 facilities use MRS, making it the most widely used breast procedure reporting and tracking system in the world. MRS estimates that approximately 8 million mammogram patients are tracked with their systems each year. In business for 20 years, MRS has become a well-established and trusted member of the radiology community. MRS systems have proven track records in academic, fixed-site, remote-site and mobile mammography settings. The enhanced version (6.7E) of MRS software includes the ability to alert healthcare professionals when patient's personal or family history indicates they may be at higher risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, consistent with professional society guidelines. MRS's information is available on the company Web site at www.mrsys.com.
About Myriad Genetics
Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading molecular diagnostic company focused on developing and marketing novel predictive medicine, personalized medicine and prognostic medicine products. Myriad's news and other information are available on the Company's Web site at www.myriad.com.
Myriad, the Myriad logo, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, Melaris, TheraGuide, Prezeon, and OnDose are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries.
The Myriad Genetics, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6336
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This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the ability to help increase the identification of patients at high risk for hereditary breast cancer as a result of entering into an agreement with Mammography Reporting System, Inc. (MRS); the timing, implementation and ability of new software to assess breast cancer risk for 8.0 million women annually; the timing and incorporation of "risk flags" for hereditary breast cancer risk in MRS breast cancer tracking software and the ability and success of these "risk factors" incorporated in MRS breast cancer tracking software to enable medical professionals at mammography screening centers throughout the country to identify patients who would benefit from hereditary breast cancer testing using Myriad's BRACAnalysis(R) breast cancer predisposition test; the ability of radiologists who use MRS software to identify and recommend increased surveillance and BRCA gene testing for those patients who are at high risk; Myriad's estimates of identified mutation carriers for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in the United States; and the anticipation that the agreement with MRS will provide Myriad with greater penetration into the asymptomatic market - women who do not have breast or ovarian cancer but have a family history; the level of assistance. 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 set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic products may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic products; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic products and any future products are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with manufacturing our products or operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over our products; risks related to regulatory developments or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; uncertainties about our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations and acquire new technologies on satisfactory terms, if at all; the development of competing products and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect the proprietary technologies underlying our products; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges of our patents; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2009, 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. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com
SOURCE: Myriad Genetics, Inc.
CONTACT: Myriad Genetics, Inc. Suzanne Barton, Director, Investor Relations (801) 584-1138 sbarton@myriad.com
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