Myriad Says US Supreme Court to Hear Isolated DNA Patent Case

Myriad Genetics, Inc.

reported today that the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari agreeing to hear the case of The Association for Molecular Pathology, et al., v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., et al (Docket No. 12-398). The Supreme Court will review the earlier decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which declared that Myriad's composition of matter claims covering isolated DNA of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are patent-eligible under Section 101 of the United States Patent Act. "Two previous decisions by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the patentability of our groundbreaking diagnostic test that has helped close to one million people learn about their hereditary cancer risk," said Peter Meldrum, President and CEO of Myriad Genetics. "Myriad devoted more than 17 years and $500 million to develop its BRACAnalysis^® test. The discovery and development of pioneering diagnostics and therapeutics require a huge investment and our U.S. patent system is the engine that drives this innovation. This case has great importance for the hundreds of millions of patients whose lives are saved and enhanced by the life science industry's products."