[Pharm-policy] Myriad's Academic Collaborations

[James Love]

>From the 1999 Myriad 10k report.  Apparently many of its patents were
licensed from Universites.  Jamie

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/899923/0000927356-99-001538-index.html

  [snip]

Academic Collaborations

  The Company has a number of collaborative agreements with the
University of Utah (the "University"), IHC, the University of Texas M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center ("MDA"), and Valley Mental Health ("VMH") which
represent important elements of the Company's research and development
programs. The Company provides funding for its scientific collaborators
at the University, IHC, MDA, and VMH to expand the development of
databases of families, the collection of clinical information and the
analysis of DNA samples relating to specific gene discovery projects
targeted by the Company. The University, IHC, MDA, and VMH have granted
the Company an exclusive, worldwide, royalty bearing license to any
commercial application including all gene discoveries, inventions and
improvements created or discovered during such research for use by the
Company or its corporate partners for diagnostic and therapeutic
purposes.

  Collaborations Related to Cancer.  The Company has entered into a
research agreement and four related exclusive license agreements with
the University in the field of cancer. The Company and University
entered into an Exclusive License Agreement in October 1991, pursuant to
which the Company was granted an exclusive, worldwide license to the
University's patent rights arising out of the discovery of the BRCA1
breast and ovarian cancer gene for use in the diagnosis and treatment of
breast cancer.

  In December 1992, the Company entered into a Standard Research
Agreement to provide funding to the University of Utah Center for Cancer
Genetic Epidemiology for research projects directed to the isolation,
sequencing and characterization of genes predisposing to cancer,
including but not limited to colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer
and melanoma. Following the Company's discovery of the p16 gene, the
Company entered into a second Exclusive License Agreement with the
University in June 1994, pursuant to which the Company was granted an
exclusive, worldwide license to discoveries and inventions arising out
of research at the Center for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology related to
germline mutations of the p16 gene and methods of detecting
predisposition to cancer based on the p16 gene. In November 1994, the
Company entered into a third Exclusive License Agreement with the
University, pursuant to which it was granted an exclusive, worldwide
license to discoveries and inventions arising out of research at the
Center for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology directed to the localization,
sequencing and characterization of the BRCA2 breast cancer predisposing
gene.

  In February 1997, the Company entered into a fourth Exclusive License
Agreement with the University, pursuant to which the Company was granted
an exclusive, worldwide license to the University's patent rights
arising out of research directed to the isolation, sequencing and
characterization of genes responsible for prostate cancer.

  In July 1997, the Company entered into a Standard Research Agreement
to provide supplemental funding to the University of Utah Center for
Cancer Genetic Epidemiology for research projects directed to the
isolation, sequencing and characterization of genes responsible for
prostate cancer.

  In September 1996, the Company entered into a Patent and License
Technology Agreement with the University of Texas and MDA in connection
with research directed to the isolation sequencing and characterization
of genes involved in leukemia, pursuant to which the Company was granted
an exclusive, worldwide license to any commercial application of
leukemia genes discovered during such research.  In December 1996, the
Company entered into a second Patent and License Technology Agreement
with the University of Texas and MDA in connection with research
directed to the isolation sequencing and characterization of genes
involved in glioma, prostate, and renal cancer, pursuant to which the
Company was granted an exclusive, worldwide license to any commercial
application

                                       13 <PAGE>

of glioma, prostate, and renal cancer genes discovered during such
research.

  Collaborations Related to Cardiovascular Disease , Diabetes and
Obesity. In May and August 1995, as amended in December 1996, the
Company entered into two Standard Research Agreements and two Exclusive
License Agreements with the University under which the Company agreed to
reimburse the University for research performed at its Cardiovascular
Genetics Research Clinic on behalf of the Company in the fields of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.  The University granted
the Company exclusive, worldwide rights to use the database of families,
clinical information and DNA samples for the discovery of genes for the
diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and
obesity. The research agreement covering cardiovascular disorders and
diabetes terminates on April 30, 2000, while the obesity research
agreement terminates on July 31, 2000.

  Collaborations Relating to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  In
July 1998, the Company entered into a Standard Research Agreement with
the University under which the Company agrees to reimburse the
University for research performed on behalf of the Company in the field
of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

  Collaborations Relating to Asthma and Osteoporosis.  In September
1995, the Company entered into a Standard Research Agreement with IHC
under which the Company reimburses IHC for research used to develop a
clinical database in the fields of asthma and osteoporosis, by linking
IHC's database of patient records to the Company's genealogy database.
IHC will also collect clinical information and DNA samples on selected
patients. The Company and IHC will jointly own the clinical database,
except that IHC may only use the database for educational and research
purposes and to improve health care services to its patients and may not
(i) use the clinical database to discover genes or develop products from
the genes discovered or (ii) sell, license or furnish access to the
database to any other party.

  The Company has the exclusive rights to use the clinical database,
clinical information and DNA samples for the discovery of genes and the
development of products for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of
asthma and osteoporosis. The research agreement covering asthma and
osteoporosis terminates on August 31, 2000.

  Collaborations Relating to Central Nervous System ("CNS") Diseases.  
In June 1996 and September 1997, the Company entered into Standard
Research Agreements with IHC and VMH, respectively.  Under these
agreements, the Company reimburses IHC and VMH for research used to
develop clinical databases in the study of CNS disorders, such as
depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, addictive
behavior, and obsessive-compulsive disorders, by linking IHC's and VMH's
databases of patient records to the Company's genealogy database. IHC
and VMH will also collect clinical information and DNA samples on
selected patients. The Company and IHC will jointly own the IHC clinical
database and the Company and VMH will jointly own the VMH database.  
IHC and VMH may only use the databases for educational and research
purposes and to improve health care services to their patients and may
not (i) use the clinical database to discover genes or develop products
from the genes discovered or (ii) sell, license or furnish access to the
databases to any other party.

  The Company has the exclusive rights to use the clinical databases,
clinical information and DNA samples for the discovery of genes and the
development of products for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of
CNS disorders. The IHC and VMH research agreements covering CNS diseases
terminate on April 30, 2001 and August 31, 2002, respectively.

   [snip]


-- 
James Love  mailto:love@cptech.org http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 1.202.387.8030  fax  1.202.234.5176