Benzinga | Jan 11, 2021 02:06PM EST

Myriad Genetics Forms Strategic Partnership with Illumina in Oncology For Illumina To Create A Kit-based Version Of The MyChoice Companion Diagnostic Test For International Markets

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine, today announced a strategic collaboration with Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) for Illumina to create a kit-based version of the myChoice(r) companion diagnostic (CDx) test for international markets.

"Increasing access to our products and better serving patients and healthcare providers are critical components of our mission to improve outcomes and our transformation plan to drive growth. The agreement between Myriad and Illumina combines companion diagnostics and next-generation sequencing to advance comprehensive genomic profiling of tumor samples and drive improved outcomes in oncology," said Paul J. Diaz, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics. "This collaboration reflects our increasing focus on partnering with high-caliber healthcare leaders like Illumina to bring innovative solutions to the oncology market."

Strategic Partnership with Illumina

The strategic partnership with Myriad and Illumina consists of a time-limited exclusive agreement for Illumina to provide a kit-based version of the myChoice CDx test for international markets. Illumina will leverage its sequencing instrument install base and knowledge from increasing market adoption of its TruSight(tm) Oncology 500 next-generation sequencing assay to develop and commercialize distributed kits globally for the assessment of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) along with other proprietary biomarkers while Myriad expands access and extends the reach of myChoice(r) CDx through Myriad's services offering.

"Illumina is committed to offering innovative diagnostic tools that power precision oncology," said Dr. Phil Febbo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Illumina. "The growing use of PARP inhibitor therapeutics to broader populations of patients with HRD is paramount in our work with Myriad Genetics as the future of healthcare looks to molecular-based testing to improve patient outcomes through standardized, best in class testing with myChoice CDx."

The myChoice CDx offering -- through Myriad's world-class laboratory -- is the only companion diagnostic test extensively validated in clinical trials to predict response to poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor drugs commonly used in the treatment of ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer. It utilizes proprietary technologies to measure genomic instability within tumors and help predict drug response. myChoice CDx test recently received both European CE Marking and Japanese regulatory approval for use as a companion diagnostic with Lynparza (olaparib) for first-line maintenance treatment in ovarian cancer in conjunction with bevacizumab. Lynparza is a PARP inhibitor jointly developed and commercialized by AstraZeneca and Merck.