Myriad Genetics Expands Strategic Research Collaboration with Abbvie

Myriad Genetics, Inc has announced an expanded companion diagnostics (CDx) research collaboration with AbbVie, Inc. to support the development of AbbVie's investigational PARP inhibitor, veliparib. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will use Myriad's CDx portfolio — myChoice HRD™ and new tumor tests — to help identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are likely to respond to treatment with the combination of veliparib and chemotherapy. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"As a company committed to innovation in the field of oncology, this collaboration with AbbVie enables us to use our proprietary companion diagnostics to advance care for patients with lung cancer," said Jerry Lanchbury, chief scientific officer, Myriad Genetics. "If we are successful, our companion diagnostics will identify more patients who may benefit from treatment with the combination of veliparib and chemotherapy."

This expanded agreement builds on an existing companion diagnostic research collaboration established in November 2014, in which Myriad has been working with AbbVie to support Phase 3 clinical studies of veliparib for patients with breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

Veliparib is an investigational oral poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]—ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor being evaluated in multiple tumor types. PARP is a naturally-occurring enzyme in the body involved in the repair of DNA damage to cells. Veliparib is being investigated in combination with DNA-damaging therapies like chemotherapy or radiation.

Veliparib is currently being studied in multiple cancers and tumor types, including Phase 3 studies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. Veliparib is an investigational compound and its efficacy and safety have not been established by the FDA or any other health authority.

Myriad's myChoice HRD is the first homologous recombination deficiency test that can detect when a tumor has lost the ability to repair double-stranded DNA breaks, resulting in increased susceptibility to DNA-damaging drugs such as platinum drugs or PARP inhibitors. High myChoice HRD scores reflective of DNA repair deficiencies are prevalent in all breast cancer subtypes, ovarian and most other major cancers.

In previously published data, Myriad showed that the myChoice HRD test predicted drug response to platinum therapy in certain patients with triple-negative breast and ovarian cancers. It is estimated that 1.8 million people in the United States and Europe who are diagnosed with cancers annually may be candidates for treatment with DNA-damaging agents.