Myriad Genetics
American biotechnology and molecular-diagnostics company specializing in genetic testing and precision medicine.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Myriad Genetics is a United States biotechnology and molecular-diagnostics company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It develops and commercializes tests that use genetic and molecular information to help clinicians assess disease risk, guide treatment selection, estimate disease progression, and evaluate the likelihood of recurrence. The company is particularly associated with hereditary cancer testing, prostate-cancer prognostics, and pharmacogenomic testing for psychiatric medicines. The company was established in 1991 by Peter Meldrum and Mark Skolnick. Its scientific roots were connected to work at the University of Utah and elsewhere on the genetic basis of breast and ovarian cancer. In 1994, Mark Skolnick, Myriad researchers, and academic collaborators reported the sequencing of BRCA1, a gene whose inherited variants can substantially increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Myriad subsequently built a commercial testing business around BRCA-related hereditary cancer assessment. That business helped make genetic risk testing more visible in routine medical practice, while also placing the company at the center of a major debate over whether naturally occurring human genes could be patented. Myriad's testing portfolio has expanded beyond BRCA analysis. Its hereditary-cancer offerings have included multigene panels designed to identify inherited risk across several cancer types. The company has also marketed Prolaris, a gene-expression test intended to help estimate the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, and GeneSight, a pharmacogenomic test developed to provide information relevant to the selection and dosing of commonly prescribed psychiatric medicines. Other areas associated with the company include reproductive genetic testing, prenatal and carrier screening, autoimmune disease testing, and molecular tools for assessing cancer prognosis and treatment response. Expansion has included acquisitions. In 2016, Myriad announced an agreement to acquire Assurex Health for as much as $410 million, adding the GeneSight psychotropic pharmacogenomic business. In 2018, it completed the acquisition of Counsyl for $375 million, broadening its reproductive-health, carrier-screening, and prenatal-testing capabilities. Myriad has also operated through businesses including Myriad International and Myriad Autoimmune, formerly known as Crescendo Bioscience. The company’s corporate history is closely linked to litigation over its BRCA patents. In Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2013 that naturally occurring DNA sequences are products of nature and are not patent-eligible merely because they have been isolated. The decision invalidated Myriad's claims covering isolated BRCA1 and BRCA2 DNA, although the Court distinguished laboratory-created complementary DNA from naturally occurring genomic DNA. Myriad was also involved in related Australian litigation, where the High Court of Australia reached a different but similarly restrictive conclusion concerning the patentability of naturally occurring genetic information. Today, Myriad presents itself as a precision-medicine company whose products connect molecular data with clinical decisions. Its business depends on laboratory testing, reimbursement, physician adoption, clinical evidence, regulatory requirements, and the continuing development of genetic interpretation. The company’s historical importance comes from helping commercialize hereditary cancer testing, while its broader strategy has been to apply genomic and molecular information across oncology, mental health, reproductive health, and other areas of medicine.
History
Myriad Genetics emerged from efforts to identify genetic factors associated with human disease. Mary-Claire King’s research had localized a breast-cancer susceptibility locus to chromosome 17, creating the basis for subsequent work to identify the BRCA1 gene. At the University of Utah, Mark Skolnick and colleagues developed and applied gene-mapping methods, including restriction-fragment-length-polymorphism analysis. Peter Meldrum and Skolnick joined forces in 1991 to establish Myriad Genetics as a company intended to turn advances in human genetics into clinical and commercial applications. A central early achievement came in August 1994, when Skolnick, Myriad researchers, and collaborators from the University of Utah, the National Institutes of Health, and McGill University reported the sequencing of BRCA1. BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants are associated with elevated inherited risks for breast and ovarian cancer and, in some contexts, other cancers. Myriad developed BRCA-focused clinical testing and helped establish a commercial model for using inherited genetic information to assess cancer susceptibility in people who had not yet developed cancer. The company’s commercial activities later expanded from hereditary cancer risk into broader molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. Myriad developed tests intended to characterize tumor biology, estimate the likelihood of disease progression or recurrence, and support decisions about therapy. Prolaris was developed as a gene-expression assay for prostate cancer prognosis, including an assessment of prostate-cancer-specific mortality risk over a defined period. The myRisk Hereditary Cancer panel was designed to evaluate multiple inherited cancer-risk markers rather than focusing on a single gene. Myriad also entered psychiatric pharmacogenomics through GeneSight, a test covering genes relevant to how patients may respond to numerous medicines used for depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and related conditions. Myriad broadened its business through acquisitions. In 2016, it announced the purchase of Assurex Health for up to $410 million. The transaction brought GeneSight into the company and strengthened its position in testing intended to inform psychotropic medication selection. In 2018, Myriad completed the $375 million acquisition of Counsyl, a reproductive-genetics company. Counsyl added carrier screening and prenatal testing capabilities, extending Myriad’s reach into reproductive health. The company has also operated businesses and subsidiaries associated with international operations and autoimmune testing, including Myriad International and Myriad Autoimmune, formerly Crescendo Bioscience. Myriad’s history cannot be separated from the legal and ethical controversy surrounding its patent strategy. The company sought and obtained patents connected with BRCA1 and BRCA2, and it enforced those rights in a way that limited some competing testing and research activities. Medical organizations, physicians, patients, and advocacy groups, represented in part by the American Civil Liberties Union, challenged the patents in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics. In 2010, a federal district court invalidated significant claims. The Federal Circuit later reversed portions of that decision, and the Supreme Court ultimately considered the dispute after directing further proceedings in light of its decision in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories. On June 13, 2013, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a naturally occurring DNA segment remains a product of nature and is not eligible for a United States patent merely because it has been isolated. The decision invalidated Myriad’s claims to the naturally occurring BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequences. The Court separately indicated that complementary DNA created in a laboratory could, in appropriate circumstances, qualify for patent protection because it is not itself naturally occurring. The ruling changed the legal environment for human-gene patents and opened the way for competing BRCA testing in the United States. Myriad also faced related litigation in Australia. Although it prevailed at earlier stages, Australia’s High Court ruled in 2015 that the relevant naturally occurring genetic material was not patentable under Australian law. After the patent litigation, Myriad continued to position itself around proprietary laboratory methods, clinical interpretation, test validation, and the integration of genetic information into medical decisions rather than relying solely on exclusive rights over naturally occurring sequences. Its portfolio remains centered on hereditary cancer, oncology, pharmacogenomics, and reproductive testing. The company’s long-term development has reflected the broader evolution of genomics: from gene discovery and single-gene testing toward multigene panels, molecular prognostics, treatment-response assessment, and data-supported precision care.
- 2018
Counsyl acquisition completed
[1]The $375 million acquisition expanded Myriad’s reproductive genetic testing, carrier screening, and prenatal testing activities.
- 2016
Assurex Health acquisition announced
[1]Myriad announced an acquisition valued at up to $410 million to add GeneSight and expand psychiatric pharmacogenomics.
- 2013
Supreme Court invalidates natural-gene patent claims
[2]The Supreme Court held that naturally occurring DNA is not patent-eligible merely because it has been isolated.
- 2010
District court challenges BRCA patents
[4]The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled against significant BRCA patent claims held by Myriad.
- 1994
BRCA1 sequencing milestone
[1]Myriad researchers and academic collaborators reported sequencing BRCA1, a gene associated with inherited breast and ovarian cancer risk.
- 1991
Myriad Genetics is established
[1]Peter Meldrum and Mark Skolnick founded the company in Salt Lake City to commercialize human-genetics research.
Products and positioning
A precision-medicine and molecular-diagnostics company that translates genetic information into risk assessment, treatment-selection, prognosis, and disease-management tools.
Hereditary cancer testing
BRACAnalysis
A hereditary cancer test associated with Myriad’s BRCA testing business. It analyzes BRCA1 and BRCA2 and has historically been used to identify inherited variants associated with elevated risks of breast, ovarian, and related cancers. The offering helped establish Myriad as a major commercial provider of genetic risk assessment.
Multigene hereditary cancer panel
myRisk Hereditary Cancer
A multigene hereditary-cancer assessment designed to examine genetic markers associated with inherited susceptibility across multiple cancer types. It extends the single-gene BRCA model into broader panel testing and can support risk assessment, counseling, and decisions about surveillance or preventive care.
Prostate-cancer prognostic test
Prolaris
A gene-expression assay for prostate cancer intended to provide information about tumor aggressiveness and the risk of prostate-cancer-specific death over a specified period. The test is designed to complement conventional clinical and pathological information when clinicians evaluate management options.
Psychiatric pharmacogenomics
GeneSight
A pharmacogenomic test acquired through Assurex Health. It examines genetic information relevant to the metabolism or response of numerous medicines used in psychiatric care, including treatments for depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Its intended role is to provide additional information when clinicians consider medication choices.
Reproductive genetic testing · 2018
Counsyl reproductive testing
Testing capabilities obtained through the Counsyl acquisition. The portfolio included carrier screening and prenatal genetic testing, allowing Myriad to participate in reproductive-health decisions involving inherited conditions and fetal genetic risk.
Controversies
2015
Australian BRCA patent litigation
In D'Arcy v Myriad Genetics Inc, the High Court of Australia rejected the patentability of the relevant naturally occurring genetic sequence under Australian law, following earlier decisions that had favored Myriad.
2013
BRCA gene patent controversy and Supreme Court case
Myriad’s efforts to patent and enforce rights relating to BRCA1 and BRCA2 generated criticism from researchers, physicians, patient advocates, and civil-liberties organizations. Critics argued that patents on naturally occurring genes could restrict testing, biomedical research, and patient access. The United States Supreme Court ultimately ruled that naturally occurring DNA is not patent-eligible merely because it has been isolated.
Brand decisions
2018
Complete Counsyl acquisitionM&ABackground
Myriad pursued growth in reproductive genetics and sought to add carrier and prenatal screening capabilities.
Action taken
It completed the acquisition of Counsyl for $375 million.
Aftermath
Myriad expanded its testing scope into reproductive health and inherited-condition screening.
Acquisition price. $375 million (2018)
2016
Acquire Assurex HealthM&ABackground
Myriad sought to expand beyond oncology and hereditary cancer into psychiatric pharmacogenomics.
Action taken
It announced an acquisition valued at up to $410 million, adding the GeneSight testing business.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Myriad’s precision-medicine portfolio into medication-response testing for psychiatric care.
Maximum announced transaction value. $410 million (2016 announcement)
2013
Adapt to the post-BRCA-patent environmentStrategyBackground
The Supreme Court’s ruling removed patent protection for naturally occurring BRCA1 and BRCA2 DNA sequences in the United States.
Action taken
Myriad continued competing through laboratory capabilities, test design, clinical interpretation, and broader precision-medicine offerings rather than relying exclusively on gene-sequence patents.
Aftermath
The decision enabled competing BRCA testing and reshaped the legal framework for human-gene patents.
Recent events
IPM begins offering GeneSight pharmacogenomics testing[5]
Reported:
Integrated Prescription Management began offering GeneSight pharmacogenomics testing for patients with depression or anxiety; the test is offered through Myriad Genetics.
Sources5 sources
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