In the four months since the Supreme Court ruled that Myriad Genetics’ patents on two cancer-related genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) were invalid, the Utah-based company has been using the courts to fight potential competitors from entering the marketplace they dominate. The sizable expenses associated with these legal battles have kept smaller competitors from successfully challenging Myriad’s monopoly.
But now, Quest Diagnostics, a laboratory testing company with $7 billion in sales, is challenging Myriad with their own tests. Quest will offer the most comprehensive version of the tests, which look at variation in the DNA in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, for $2,500, about 40% less than Myriad charges. Simpler tests, which can look for particular spelling variation because of a patient’s family history or ethnicity, will cost $500.
“We’re certainly starting to see the classic race to the bottom I’ll be astonished if the price isn’t under $500 for the whole thing pretty soon,” says George Sledge, Chief of the Division of Oncology at Stanford University. “The actual analysis if you’re not using 1995 technology the prices should be super-cheap because the price of sequencing is following a super-Moore’s law track. It doesn’t make much sense from a technology standpoint that it should be this expensive.”
Read the full, original story here: Who Can Challenge Myriad’s Monopoly In Breast Cancer Gene Tests?
Additional Resources:
- “Myriad attempt to block expansion of breast cancer screening tests hinges on major ethical, legal questions,” Genetic Literacy Project
- “Can we patent life?” New York Times
- “Utah’s Myriad argues (again) for patents related to breast cancer genes,” Salt Lake Tribune
