SALT LAKE CITY, June 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DaVita Labs, a unit of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE:DVA) and Myriad RBM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics (Nasdaq:MYGN) announced today a research collaboration to conduct protein biomarker discovery research with the goal of developing and commercializing diagnostic tests that could benefit in the treatment of dialysis patients.
DaVita and Myriad have identified potential opportunities where novel diagnostic tests utilizing blood-based protein biomarkers could improve the quality of life for patients and potentially lower overall healthcare costs. The primary area of focus will include the prediction of vascular access failure.
"This collaboration uses DaVita's proprietary biorepository that is intended to facilitate innovative research across renal disease," said Chris Rucker, president of DaVita Labs and DaVita Clinical Research. "Myriad recognizes the value that the biorepository can bring to research and development activities, and we look forward to collaborating with Myriad on the research and development of novel diagnostics that could transform our industry."
"We are enthusiastic to collaborate with a company of the caliber of DaVita in the field of dialysis, one of the largest health care service markets," said Craig Benson, president Myriad RBM. "We have extensive experience with research in kidney disease and inflammatory markers that we believe could increase the quality of care for dialysis patients."
Specimens from the DaVita biorepository will be processed on the Myriad RBM DiscoveryMAP® platform for the quantification of more than 300 important proteins. DiscoveryMAP analyzes protein biomarkers correlated with inflammatory, metabolic and renal disease conditions that could have meaningful utility as diagnostic criteria for dialysis patients. Myriad is expected to begin processing specimens associated with this collaboration in fiscal year 2014.
About Myriad Genetics
Myriad Genetics is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a commitment to improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. Myriad is focused on strategic directives to introduce new products, including companion diagnostics, as well as expanding internationally. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: www.myriad.com.
About DaVita
DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of March 31, 2013, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,991 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 156,000 patients. The company also operated 41 outpatient dialysis centers located in nine countries outside the United States. DaVita supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.
Myriad and the Myriad logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G
Safe Harbor
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the announced research collaboration to conduct protein biomarker discovery research with the goal of developing and commercializing diagnostic tests that could benefit in the treatment of dialysis patients; and the Company's strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics". These "forward-looking statements" are management's present expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; risks related to changes in the governmental or private insurers reimbursement levels for our tests; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services tests and any future tests are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over our genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we license or acquire; the development of competing tests and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of our patents; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
CONTACT: DaVita Contacts Media: Bianca Violante (303) 876-6614 bianca.violante@davita.com Investors: Jim Gustafson (310) 536-2585 jim.gustafson@davita.com Myriad Genetics Contacts Media: Ron Rogers (801) 584-3065 rrogers@myriad.com Investors: Scott Gleason (801) 584-1143 sgleason@myriad.com
