Myriad Genetics has entered into a five-year strategic alliance with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to accelerate the clinical evaluation and development of Myriad’s molecular residual disease (MRD) assay, Precise MRD.
Together, the cancer center and company will create a portfolio of retrospective and prospective studies evaluating the clinical validity and utility of the test, according to an MD Anderson statement. The goal of the studies is to generate evidence that supports national guideline inclusion and healthcare provider adoption.
Under the terms of the agreement, MD Anderson and Myriad Genetics will collaborate on studies that investigate Precise MRD's utility in breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and gynecological cancers.
MD Anderson investigators will lead patient enrollment, sample collection, clinical data analysis, and manuscript writing. Myriad will provide funding, MRD testing, and scientific research support, as well as potential milestone and royalty payments under the collaboration, according to the statement.
Precise MRD is a whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based test designed to monitor tumor-specific variants and quantify very low levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood of patients with cancer. Myriad has said the test can be used to monitor ctDNA levels beginning immediately after diagnosis and continuing through treatment and surveillance to potentially predict treatment response.
The new agreement with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center adds to existing collaborations between MD Anderson researchers and Myriad that include ongoing studies in breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma, MD Anderson said.
Myriad has also collaborated with other partners on MRD studies, including a study predicting treatment response in patients with metastatic breast cancer with researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
