SALT LAKE CITY, June 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, today announced that its BRACAnalysis CDx® companion diagnostic test successfully identified BRCA-mutated patients with HER2- metastatic breast cancer in the OlympiAD trial (NCT02000622) who responded better to treatment with olaparib than standard chemotherapy.
OlympiAD compared olaparib (300mg twice daily) to physician’s choice of a standard chemotherapy (capecitabine, vinorelbine or eribulin) in the treatment of 302 patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer harboring germline BRCA1/2 mutations as determined by Myriad’s BRACAnalysis CDx companion diagnostic test. The results showed that BRCA-positive patients treated with olaparib had a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful PFS benefit of compared to the control group.
“In this study, patients with BRCA mutations experienced significantly prolonged PFS when treated with olaparib versus standard of care chemotherapy,” said Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, Myriad Genetic Laboratories. “Based on these findings, all patients with metastatic breast cancer should know their BRCA status as it will be a critical factor in guiding therapy selection for patients with metastatic breast cancer.”
It is estimated there are approximately 60,000 patients per year in the United States who are newly diagnosed with or progress to HER2- metastatic breast cancer. Of these patients, two-thirds are not eligible for BRCA testing based upon current testing criteria. If approved by the FDA as a new indication this would potentially triple the number of patients with metastatic breast cancer who are candidates for BRCA testing.
“We believe the results from the OlympiAD study will expand the population who can benefit from the BRACAnalysis CDx test, and the results will help doctors improve care for their patients with metastatic breast cancer,” said Lancaster. “This study further supports the use of advanced biomarkers, like BRACAnalysis CDx, to enable precision medicine, which benefits both patients and the healthcare ecosystem.”
The collaboration between Myriad and AstraZeneca to develop a novel companion diagnostic test for olaparib began in 2007. OlympiAD is the first Phase 3 trial to demonstrate the clinical utility of the BRACAnalysis CDx test outside of ovarian cancer for which the test was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Dec. 2014. Based on the robustness of the OlympiaAD results, Myriad plans to submit a supplementary premarket approval (sPMA) application under its existing PMA for BRACAnalysis CDx to include the HER2- metastatic breast cancer indication.
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 collected in EDTA. Single nucleotide variants and small insertions and deletions (indels) are identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing. Large deletions and duplications in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are detected using multiplex PCR. Results of the test are used as an aid in identifying ovarian cancer patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA variants, who are or may become eligible for treatment with Lynparza™ (olaparib). This assay is for professional use only and is to be performed only at 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
About Lynparza
Lynparza (olaparib) is an innovative, first-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that may exploit tumour DNA damage response (DDR) pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. Lynparza is the foundation of AstraZeneca’s industry-leading portfolio of compounds targeting DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms in cancer cells. Lynparza is currently approved by regulatory health authorities in the EU for use as monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed BRCA-mutated (germline and/or somatic) high grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in response (complete or partial) to platinum-based chemotherapy. It is also approved in the US as monotherapy in patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (as detected by an FDA-test) advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with three or more prior lines of chemotherapy. Lynparza is currently being investigated in another separate non-metastatic breast cancer Phase III study called OLYMPIA. This study is still open and recruiting patients internationally.
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, 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
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to the ability of the BRACAnalysis CDx test to successfully identify metastatic breast cancer patients with improved outcomes from olaparib; the results of the study demonstrating a statistically-significant improvement of progression-free survival (PFS) among BRCA-mutated patients treated with olaparib compared to those treated with physicians’ choice; the Company’s belief that the results of the OlympiAD trial support use of the BRACAnalysis CDx test to help inform treatment decisions in the metastatic breast cancer setting and will expand the patient population who can benefit from BRCA testing; the importance of the BRACAnalysis CDx test for this patient population and the ability to identify patients likely to benefit from PARP inhibition therapy; the number of patients with metastatic breast cancer who would benefit from BRCA testing if approved as a new indication; the Company’s ongoing collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop a novel companion diagnostic test to identify candidates for treatment with olaparib; and the Company’s strategic directives under the captions “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 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 molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services may decline; risks related to our ability to transition from our existing product portfolio to our new tests, including unexpected costs and delays; risks related to decisions or changes in 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 and any future tests and services are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities and our healthcare clinic; risks related to public concern over 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; risks related to our projections about our business, results of operations and financial condition; risks related to the potential market opportunity for our products and services; 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 or other intellectual property; 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; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 1A of our most recent 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. 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.
Media Contact: Ron Rogers (908) 285-0248 rrogers@myriad.com Investor Contact: Scott Gleason (801) 584-1143 sgleason@myriad.com
