Myriad Genetics and Abbott Extend Collaboration
SALT LAKE CITY, November 22, 2005 – Myriad Genetics, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MYGN) (www.myriad.com), and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) have extended their
strategic alliance in pharmacogenetics, the Company announced today. The
research collaboration will focus on identifying human genetic variation
around drug targets in various stages of development.
Abbott will fund the research under this collaboration and Myriad will use
its high-throughput sequencing technologies and proprietary mutation screening
software to analyze samples from various populations to identify genetic
polymorphisms, or differences in the DNA between individuals. The results of
this collaboration may help Abbott's drug discovery programs develop drugs
that will be the most effective for the widest range of patients.
"We are pleased to once again extend our successful relationship with
Abbott in pharmacogenetics, an area in which Myriad can apply its proprietary
technologies," said Peter Meldrum, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Myriad Genetics, Inc. "There is significant potential through this
collaboration to develop new personalized medicine products in areas of
important and growing healthcare needs."
Brian Spear, Director of genomic and proteomic technologies at Abbott
said, "Myriad's technology and expertise are valuable to Abbott's drug
discovery and development efforts in areas of significant unmet medical need."
Myriad's Pharmacogenetics Technologies
Pharmacogenetics is the application of the knowledge of genetic diversity
for the improvement of the specificity, safety and efficacy of therapeutics.
The science of pharmacogenetics holds the promise of delivering personalized
medicine products that respond to an established genetic profile for specific
individuals. Knowing an individual's likely reaction to a drug in advance may
decrease the occurrence of adverse effects while improving the drug's
effectiveness, potentially leading to better outcomes and lower overall
healthcare costs. Pharmacogenetics may also identify individuals who have a
known disease genotype and might benefit from therapeutic intervention prior
to the onset of symptoms of the disease.
Myriad applies these technologies to uncover genotype-phenotype
associations that allow patient stratification in clinical trials based upon
differential drug metabolism among individuals. This program can maximize the
value of clinical trials by improving their efficacy through the exclusion of
non-responders. It can also improve the safety profile of drugs by minimizing
adverse effects, potentially shortening the duration and the size of phase III
and phase IV clinical trials. The benefits may continue even after FDA
approval. In the last decade more than a dozen approved drugs have been
withdrawn from the market. In most cases, the withdrawal was precipitated by
adverse effects that occurred in less than 0.1% of patients receiving the
drug. Examining genetic variation provides the opportunity to uncover
genotype-phenotype correlations that may allow the exclusion of a subset of
at-risk individuals.
About Myriad
Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on
the development of novel healthcare products. The Company develops and
markets proprietary predictive medicine and personalized medicine products,
and is developing and intends to market a number of promising therapeutic
products that address large potential markets. Myriad's news and other
information are available on the Company's Web site at http://www.myriad.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements relating to the focus of the research collaboration on identifying
human genetic variation around drug targets in various stages of development;
Abbott's funding of the research under the collaboration; Myriad's use of its
high-throughput sequencing technologies and proprietary mutation screening
software under the collaboration; the ability of the results of this
collaboration to help Abbott's drug discovery programs to develop drugs; and
the significant potential to develop new personalized medicine products
through this collaboration. These forward looking statements are based on
management's current expectation and are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
set forth or implied by forward-looking statements. These include, but are
not limited to, to the effectiveness of Myriad Genetics' pharmacogenetics
technologies and projects; uncertainties as to the extent of future government
regulation of Myriad Genetics' business; uncertainties as to whether Myriad
Genetics and its collaborators will be successful in developing, and obtaining
regulatory approval for, and commercial acceptance of, therapeutic compounds;
the risk that markets will not exist for therapeutic compounds that Myriad
Genetics develops or if such markets exist, that Myriad Genetics will not be
able to sell compounds, which it develops, at acceptable prices; and the risk
that the Company will not able to sustain revenue growth for its predictive
medicine business and products. These and other risks are identified in the
Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the
Company's current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 28, 2005. All
information in this press release is as of November 22, 2005 and Myriad
undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
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