NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Myriad Genetics has signed an agreement with BioMarin Pharmaceutical to perform BRCA1 and BRCA 2 mutation testing for the drug firm's PARP inhibitor drug candidate, Myriad said after the close of the market on Wednesday.
The testing will be done on patients enrolled in BioMarin's Phase I and Phase II clinical study of its PARP inhibitor called BMN 673 for patients with advanced or recurrent tumors.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Myriad will conduct Comprehensive BRACAnalysis with large rearrangement testing to identify the presence of germline mutations in the patients prior to enrolling in BioMarin's study. Myriad will also provide standard test reports to the clinicians.
The deal is the third between Myriad and pharmaceutical firms to use BRACAnalysis to determine the effectiveness of PARP inhibitors. Myriad has similar deals with Abbott and AstraZeneca for their candidate drugs.
Dane Leone, an analyst with Macquarie Capital, wrote in a research note on Wednesday — when his firm initiated coverage of Myriad — that Abbott is currently in Phase II clinical trials for its drug called ABT-888 for breast cancer. Patients in the study were stratified by BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation. A Phase IIb study is expected to start later this year, and Leone said results from that trial will not be disclosed until late 2012 or 2013.
AstraZeneca expects a Phase III clinical trial for its olaparib PARP inhibitor for breast cancer is on hold while the drug company awaits results from it ovarian cancer trial, Leone said. Patients in the Phase III trial were stratified by BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation.