This is nothing. Wait until outsourced software gets resold by the developers in India or China. The hiring companies IP will go right out the window and be resold to ten different companies for a pittance. Then the execs at the original company will cry fowl but who are they going to complain to? The foreign government? I don't think so. The U.S. government? Nope. The U.S. can complain, but the horse already left the barn. The original hiring company will have no recourse. Their precious IP is now gone all in the effort to get a better development deal. How good will the deal be then?
First, the genes identified to be a contributing factor in breast cancer (BRCA1, BRCA2) are not themselves cancer causing and EVERYBODY has these genes. A gene is just a small portion of your DNA on a particular chromosome. What IS the determining factor for these 2 genes are very specific mutations within the genes. That is, small portions of the genes that are different in VERY specific locations from the norm. Just knowing where the gene exists and its location doesn't do much good on it's own without knowing EXACTLY what mutations to look for. Also, if the telling mutations are found within the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes doesn't mean a woman has, or will get, breast cancer. It only means there is a higher risk of developing the disease. So the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are not on-off switches for breast cancer.
Also, the scientists at Myriad were the ones who discovered these genes AND identified the mutations the relevant mutations. The reason this test can be performed at all is because Myriad did the basic research.
As for the cost, running genetic testing is not like manufacturing a drug. The cost of manufacturing a drug decreases with a higher quantity. Genetic testing does not. Genetic testing requires a very sophisticated lab and a large team of people to process and analyze every test. Part of the reason the Myriad test is expensive is it's very FAST. Send your sample to Ontario and see when (and if) you'll get the results and how accurate those results will be. Chances are good it will take serval months to get the results. Maybe longer. Myriad can process a sample and have the complete results back in 3 weeks if necessary. This happens because Myriad has a very complex, high thru-put automated system for processing genetic samples and checking there accuracy. Most people who get this test are not willing to wait 3 to 6 months biting their nails for the results. Unfortunately, this high thru-put automated system costs big bucks but produces accurate results quickly.
I know all this because I work at Myriad. In fact I work in the Informatics dept. that writes the software to process the genetic samples and help identify the genetic mutations. Everybody at Myriad is very dedicated to providing the most accurate, and fastest tests available anywhere in the world. Myriad is able to process thousands of samples per month. Far more than any one else. We don't sit around and try to think up new ways to screw people. Everybody at Myriad cares a lot.
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This is nothing. Wait until outsourced software gets resold by the developers in India or China. The hiring companies IP will go right out the window and be resold to ten different companies for a pittance. Then the execs at the original company will cry fowl but who are they going to complain to? The foreign government? I don't think so. The U.S. government? Nope. The U.S. can complain, but the horse already left the barn. The original hiring company will have no recourse. Their precious IP is now gone all in the effort to get a better development deal. How good will the deal be then?
First, the genes identified to be a contributing factor in breast cancer (BRCA1, BRCA2) are not themselves cancer causing and EVERYBODY has these genes. A gene is just a small portion of your DNA on a particular chromosome. What IS the determining factor for these 2 genes are very specific mutations within the genes. That is, small portions of the genes that are different in VERY specific locations from the norm. Just knowing where the gene exists and its location doesn't do much good on it's own without knowing EXACTLY what mutations to look for. Also, if the telling mutations are found within the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes doesn't mean a woman has, or will get, breast cancer. It only means there is a higher risk of developing the disease. So the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are not on-off switches for breast cancer.
Also, the scientists at Myriad were the ones who discovered these genes AND identified the mutations the relevant mutations. The reason this test can be performed at all is because Myriad did the basic research.
As for the cost, running genetic testing is not like manufacturing a drug. The cost of manufacturing a drug decreases with a higher quantity. Genetic testing does not. Genetic testing requires a very sophisticated lab and a large team of people to process and analyze every test. Part of the reason the Myriad test is expensive is it's very FAST. Send your sample to Ontario and see when (and if) you'll get the results and how accurate those results will be. Chances are good it will take serval months to get the results. Maybe longer. Myriad can process a sample and have the complete results back in 3 weeks if necessary. This happens because Myriad has a very complex, high thru-put automated system for processing genetic samples and checking there accuracy. Most people who get this test are not willing to wait 3 to 6 months biting their nails for the results. Unfortunately, this high thru-put automated system costs big bucks but produces accurate results quickly.
I know all this because I work at Myriad. In fact I work in the Informatics dept. that writes the software to process the genetic samples and help identify the genetic mutations. Everybody at Myriad is very dedicated to providing the most accurate, and fastest tests available anywhere in the world. Myriad is able to process thousands of samples per month. Far more than any one else. We don't sit around and try to think up new ways to screw people. Everybody at Myriad cares a lot.