Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO)

[hlegweakreturns]

Genetic Testing for Cancer
Is evolving very quickly and many folks are getting into the business. And there is more than one in New Jersey. Roche is entering this market, and they are not alone. Yesterday Bloomberg had an article on Quest entering the Breast-Cancer Test Market that is currently dominated by Myriad. I don't think Roche has any interest in Quest, but they obviously are looking for expanding their genetic diagnostic capability going forward, as evidenced by the PACB deal, and another agreement with a smaller, and interesting player in this market. So here is the article if you have any interest in tangential developments:

"Quest Diagnostics Inc. (DGX), the biggest U.S. operator of medical labs, began yesterday to sell a test for two breast cancer genes, providing competition for Myriad Genetics Inc. and potentially helping to reduce costs for women fearful they are at risk of the disease.Quest will sell the most comprehensive version of its test for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for $2,500, said Richard Bender, a consultant for the Madison, New Jersey-based company. The price compares with almost $3,400 that Medicare pays for the most comprehensive version of a test from Myriad.

Myriad held a U.S. monopoly over the BRCA tests until June, when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated parts of its gene patents. Immediately afterward, Ambry Genetics Corp. and another closely held company said they were entering the BRCA market. Quest is the largest competitor to move into the field. Quest’s test “will certainly be comparable to if not better than the data provided by Myriad” in its ability to identify a harmful mutation, Bender said by telephone.
Quest’s incursion into the BRCA testing market sets up a potential legal battle with Myriad, which has various remaining patents on its tests. “We feel we offer a test that is the gold standard in quality,” Ronald Rogers, a Myriad spokesman, said in a phone interview." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-16/interdigital-mattel-navistar-intellectual-property.html?cmpid=yhoo




Quest’s test “does not violate any valid BRCA patent that Myriad Genetics may assert,” Wendy Bost, a Quest spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
Quest said in an Oct. 10 complaint filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California, that it believes Myriad will bring a patent-infringement lawsuit if it starts selling its BRCA test products.
Myriad hasn’t yet been served with Quest’s complaint, said Rogers. “Once we receive that, we will read through it and weigh our options,” he said.
The case is Quest Diagnostics Inc. v. Myriad Genetics Inc. (MYGN), 13-cv-01587, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Santa Ana).