Myriad Genetics Launches Predictive Medicine Business in Brazil; - New MELARIS Melanoma Product Included

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MYGN), and Fleury Laboratories, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, have formed a collaboration to market Myriad's predictive medicine products throughout Brazil, the Company announced today. Brazil, with a population of 170 million people, is two thirds as large as the United States, and represents a large untapped market for predictive medicine products. This new predictive medicine marketing program in Brazil will initially focus on cancer, with BRACAnalysis(R), COLARIS(TM) and Myriad's new MELARIS(TM) predictive medicine products. The MELARIS melanoma product was launched this month in the United States and patient specimens are being accepted for analysis at Myriad.

Brazil is the largest and most populous country in Latin America. As a large potential market for predictive medicine products, Fleury Laboratories will use its 1,300 employees and 15 clinics throughout Brazil to implement a comprehensive education and marketing program to the cancer care specialists among the country's 235,000 physicians.

"Myriad's predictive medicine product revenues grew by 81% during the past quarter, versus the same period one year ago," said Gregory Critchfield, M.D., President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. "Expansion of our product line to new markets in Latin America will contribute to our future growth. Fleury Labs in Brazil is an important component of that strategy."

Laboratorio Fleury, as it is known in Brazil, is a private company, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, founded in 1926. The headquarters facility contains a highly automated laboratory, which serves as a central processing station for its 15 medical diagnostic centers and clinics providing patient services throughout Brazil. Additionally, Laboratorio Fleury has a network of more than 600 labs throughout Brazil that collect and refer patient specimens for testing. The laboratory now processes in excess of 5,000,000 tests annually.

MELARIS PRODUCT LAUNCH

The MELARIS melanoma predictive medicine product, which was launched this month by Myriad, has a fee of $745 per test. Individuals with a family history of melanoma are encouraged to explore MELARIS testing with their physician. MELARIS detects mutations in the p16 gene, a tumor suppressor gene that was discovered by Myriad scientists. Germline mutations in p16 are responsible for a greatly increased risk of melanoma. The increase in cancer risk to carriers of p16 mutations, evaluated in over 250 independent research studies, is now estimated at greater than 50 times the risk held by individuals in the general population.

Prevention of melanoma is the goal of the MELARIS(TM) predictive medicine product. Melanoma is lethal in 86% of cases in which it has spread to other sites in the body. When diagnosed early, melanoma patients have a survival rate of better than 90%. Patients identified at high risk may be placed on a regular schedule of office visits to check for changing moles or other early signs of disease, which can be removed. This process of frequent surveillance along with the removal of suspicious moles and lesions can often prevent melanoma. The MELARIS(TM) predictive medicine test is sold in the United States by Myriad's existing 75-person oncology product sales force.

Melanoma is a serious health problem in the United States. Over 51,000 patients will be diagnosed with melanoma in the year 2001, and more than 7,800 will die from the disease. Of great concern is the rapid increase in the number of melanoma cases per year. Melanoma is increasing at a rate of over 4% per year, and has become one of the fastest growing cancer types in the United States. Myriad believes that approximately 10% of these cases will have a strong family history of the disease.

Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapeutic products derived from its proprietary genomic and proteomic technologies. The Company has established two wholly owned subsidiaries. Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and intends to market therapeutic compounds, and Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. develops and markets proprietary predictive medicine and personalized medicine products. Myriad has established strategic alliances with Bayer, Eli Lilly, Hitachi, Novartis, Oracle, Pharmacia, Roche, Schering AG, Schering-Plough and Syngenta.

The discussion in this news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on management's current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to uncertainties as to the extent of future government regulation of Myriad Genetics' or Myriad Proteomics' business, uncertainties as to whether Myriad Genetics or Myriad Proteomics and its collaborators will be successful in developing, and obtaining regulatory approval for, and commercial acceptance of, therapeutics; the risk that markets will not exist for therapeutic compounds that Myriad Genetics or Myriad Proteomics develops or if such markets exist, that Myriad Genetics or Myriad Proteomics will not be able to sell compounds, which it develops, at acceptable prices. All information in this press release is as of November 14, 2001, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

SOURCE Myriad Genetics, Inc.

CONTACT: William A. Hockett, Vice President of Corporate Communications of Myriad Genetics, Inc., +1-801-584-3600, bhockett@myriad.com