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Genetic-testing firm Myriad Genetics is facing a legal challenge from people who say the company refused to give them access to their own genomic data, in violation of a US government rule on medical records.
The skirmish is the latest in a long-running war between Myriad and data-sharing advocates, and it could ultimately force the company to provide genetic information that patients could then share with scientists. The company had previously tried to block rivals from providing BRCA tests, asserting that it held patents that gave it the exclusive right to perform such diagnostics.
Ciccarella and the others who brought the complaint are pressing ahead with their case, in part to set the precedent that companies must legally provide the full results of genetic tests.
“If I were the plaintiffs, I’d want to make sure the government said that Myriad had to do what it did,” says lawyer and bioethicist Hank Greely at Stanford University. “If you’re a consumer advocate in the health-care space, Myriad may not be a company you trust.”
Read full, original post: Myriad Genetics embroiled in breast-cancer data fight — again
