Genetic testing won in the Supreme Court decision yesterday. The patented genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 held by Myriad Genetics was thrown out opening the door for other companies to develop the testing. Several companies have announced they will be bringing a less expensive test to market after yesterday’s decision. This ends a two decade monopoly by Myriad Genetics. The American Medical Association brought the lawsuit against Myriad. Quest Diagnostics was the first to announce their test would be less expensive than the current Myriad one that costs between $3,000 and $4,000. The Supreme Court ruled that synthetically created DNA could be patented but naturally occurring human genes could not. This could open opportunities for the development of new tests for other diseases as well. It’s a big win for women who are candidates for the testing. Following Angelina Jolie’s announcement of her positive results and the choice she made for a double mastectomy, public awareness has significantly increase about the availability of the testing.
