Toronto, CANADA / Montreal, CANADA -- March 9, 2000 -- Canadian women who may be at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer have another tool in the fight against these diseases! MDS Laboratory Services announced today that, through its national network, it will provide greater access for genetic testing to Canadian women who may be predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer. The opportunity comes after an agreement was reached between MDS Diagnostic Sector, of MDS Inc., and Utah-based Myriad Genetics Inc., a global leader in genetic susceptibility testing for breast and ovarian cancer.
The agreement will provide critical test data to Canadian physicians with a rapid-turn-around time (approximately 3 weeks) and they will be able to easily access MDS' nationwide collection and logistics network. It will include the comprehensive scientific analysis, sample collection, national logistics, physician and patient educational material and a confidential reporting service. Better access and management of the entire testing process will result in more timely testing and better decision making for treatment options.

"This network will assist physicians to do what they do best - care for patients while the coordination, facilitation, collection, reporting and paperwork related to a patient's genetic test is efficiently managed," says Dr. Brian Sheridan, Medical Director, for MDS Laboratory Services. "I am pleased that MDS is taking this step to provide women at risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer with access to internationally recognized and clinically proven technology that can save lives."

"Myriad is pleased to be affiliated with the MDS organization in the provision of this genetic testing service across Canada," said Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., President, Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. "Expanding access to state-of-the-art, life-saving technologies offers the opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of women and their families.”

According to the National Cancer Institute of Canada, in 1998 more than 19,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 2,500 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, of those, 5 to 10% inherited the disease. If these women who are predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer can be identified early, doctors and their patients can make better therapeutic choices aimed at preventing, managing and treating these diseases.

The genetic test is only appropriate for women who meet established clinical guidelines. It looks for defects in certain genes that can significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Women with defects in these genes have up to a 59% risk of breast cancer by age 50 (compared to 2% for those without the anomaly), and up to an 87% risk of breast cancer over their lifetimes. Ovarian cancer risk increases to nearly a 44% lifetime risk by age 50 in women with the defects, compared to less than 1% in those without.

"The science behind the test is recognized as the gold standard and thousands of women around the world have benefited from having access to Myriad's technology”, explained Dr. Sheridan. For the analysis, Myriad extracts the DNA from a blood sample. It is then analyzed on highly sophisticated gene sequencing instrumentation by a team of specialized researchers.

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: MYGN) is an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapeutic and diagnostic products based on the use of genetic and proteomic technologies. The company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries -- Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which develops and markets therapeutic compounds, and Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc., which develops and markets proprietary molecular diagnostic services and has introduced products in predictive and personalized medicine.

MDS Inc. (TSE: MDS) is an international health and life sciences company. In many of its products and services, it is among the largest and most respected companies in the world. MDS fights disease. It does this by providing: laboratory testing, imaging agents for nuclear medicine testing, sterilization systems for medical and consumer products, research services to speed discovery and development of new drugs, therapy systems for planning and delivery of cancer treatment, analytical instruments to assist in the development of new drugs, and medical / surgical supplies. MDS employs more than 8,500 highly skilled people at its global operations on four continents. Detailed information about the company is available at the MDS Web site at www.mdsintl.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.

For more information about this test please visit www.mdscollaborate.com MDS Laboratory Services’ new on-line information base for new diagnostic testing.

Karisma Communications
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