Myriad Genetics offers various diagnostic DNA testing products such as tests for cancer risk. Learn more in our Myriad Genetics review!
Myriad Genetics is a clinical genetic testing company that provides detailed diagnostic tests at a higher price than competitors.
This review is written with the intent to be as unbiased as possible. However, it represents the opinion of an individual reviewer and is therefore subjective. Furthermore, at Nebula Genomics we seek to educate the public about the benefits of Whole Genome Sequencing. Information about our Whole Genome Sequencing DNA test is therefore incorporated into the review.
Edited by Christina Swords, Ph.D.
Myriad is a diagnostics corporation that includes several clinical genetics companies. The molecular diagnostic company is based in Salt Lake City, UT.
The services offered range from prenatal testing to psychotropic gene-drug screening. Because Myriad is a clinical genomics company, it offers FDA-approved molecular diagnostic testing. For Myriad Genetics, insurance can provide some coverage.
Without coverage, costs can be significantly higher than CLIA-lab alternatives.
Myriad Genetics is a molecular diagnostics company that offers clinical genetic testing to promote medical management. Scientists from the University of Utah founded this genetic testing company in 1991, and Utah is still the home of its headquarters. Mark Capone is the current head of upper management.
Recently, Myriad Genetics acquired Counsyl (2018) and Assurex Health (2016). As a result, these business acquisitions expanded the Myriad genetic testing capabilities to include reproductive tests and more precision medicine tests, respectively. In addition, Myriad also offers genetic testing for psychotropic drug interactions.
| Are you interested in a test that decodes 100% of your DNA instead of testing only a few genes? Nebula Genomics offers Whole Genome Sequencing, a complete DNA test that decodes all 20,000 genes and all regulatory genomic regions. In comparison, Myriad Genetics sequences just a few genes at a much higher price. Click here to learn more! |
This company offers several types of DNA tests. Some are diagnostic tests while others focus on reproductive screening and precision medicine.
Myriad Genetics offers diagnostic genetic testing for inherited cancers. They may be useful for people with a family history. Customers can take the test with either a saliva sample or a blood draw.
According to the company, insurance can cover up to 90% of the Myriad Genetic testing cost. In most cases, Myriad offers financial assistance to reduce out-of-pocket costs for qualified underinsured patients in the U.S. to no more than $295.
The tests offered include:
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The company provides directions on how to collect a saliva sample from home and mail it in. Customers then send their sample to Myriad Genetic laboratories. Once Myriad receives the sample, a lab technician analyzes the results and provides a report.
Generally, reports describe mutations found as positive, elevated, negative, or a variant of unknown significance.
Women may also choose to receive another report called a riskScore. The riskScore combines a testing panel validated by medical societies with a hereditary cancer quiz. This provides a prediction of five-year and lifetime risk for breast cancer.
Insurance may cover this genetic test. According to the company, three out of four people pay $0 for testing.
The company also offers genetic testing before and during pregnancy. These Myriad genetic testing pregnancy options include:
Some chromosome conditions include Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18, which cause Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome, respectively. This test can also look for abnormal numbers of sex chromosomes or deletions in chromosomes.
The company also offers a financial assistance program and interest-free payment plan options.
Myriad offers a couple of products designed to help individuals and their doctors use genetic information to inform treatment options. These tests include:
GeneSight Psychotropic Test ($330): This genetic test looks for mutations in genes that may affect how an individual responds to medications for treating mental illnesses. It is based on research established by Assurex Health, which Myriad acquired in 2016 and renamed Myriad Neuroscience. As a result, the test is now offered through this division.
Medicare and Medicaid cover the cost of this test, and most private insurers cover part of the costs. According to the company, most patients will pay less than $330.
myChoice CDX ($4040): This genetic test looks for mutations, insertions, deletions, and large chromosomal rearrangements in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The test uses samples from the person’s tumor.
This test reports a genomic instability score, which can indicate how an individual might respond to cancer treatments. In general, people with a poor score may benefit from other targeted therapies. This product is approved by the FDA. Without insurance coverage, the test costs over $4000.
The company’s diagnostic tests provide results that include a genetic testing status and medical recommendations.
The first section of the report provides a summary of the mutations identified from the genetic test. The report then describes the significance of any mutations found. This includes information about whether the gene mutation increases a person’s risk of developing a disease.
Finally, the bottom of the report includes additional information listing all the genes analyzed.
If an individual receives a positive test result, their healthcare provider will therefore receive additional information regarding clinical management guidelines and recommendations for patient care.
Myriad Genetics lets people know if its test identified any mutations, even if they are not associated with increased cancer risk. Experts refer to these mutations as variants of uncertain clinical significance. These are still viewed as negative results.
If the genetic test did not identify any mutations, the report will therefore indicate a negative test result.
The Foresight Carrier Screening test can help couples determine if their child would be at risk for an inherited condition. If both partners choose to be tested, then the company provides a combined report.
A positive test result indicates that a couple would have a high risk of passing on an inherited disorder to their child. The rest of the report provides information about the disorder. This includes information about treatment.
If no mutations are found, the report will indicate negative results.
The GeneSight test reports whether a person’s genetics could affect their response to certain medications. The test results include information about medication for anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric illnesses. The report classifies them into three categories indicating how they should be used.
Genetic counselors can help people interpret their results from genetic testing. Myriad Genetics offers genetic consults from its team of licensed, board-certified genetic counselors. This benefit is included with the Foresight prenatal screening.
Other companies that offer genetic counseling include Genome Medical, a nationwide virtual counseling business.
These tests can cost up to $4000. However, Myriad claims that 97% of private health insurance companies cover its testing. The company also offers a financial assistance program. This program may cap expenses at $295 for individuals who qualify.
Myriad Genetics says that it takes the privacy of its patients’ genetic information seriously. The company shares a person’s genetic information with their medical provider and anyone else they allow access to.
The company also says that it does not sell or give away genetic information to third parties. It also responsibly contributes genetic data to the PROMPT registry. This is an online genetic registry that researchers use to study the genetics of cancer risk.
It will provide your information to authorities in the case of national security or law enforcement requirements when the request has been made correctly.
The company has attracted some criticism regarding the costs of its genetic testing:
The company was also criticized for filing gene patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, resulting in a lawsuit.
However, a court decision from the United States Supreme Court in 2013 ruled against the legality of patents on human genes. Their main conclusion was that since the discovery of a human gene does not involve being created, there is no intellectual property involved and thus no grounds for a patent. Subsequently, Myriad announced it would give up its attempts to patent breast cancer genes.
Because this is a diagnostic company ordered through a doctor’s office and not available online, there are limited public reviews. Yelp reviewers give the company only 1 out of 5 stars. The most common complaints claim slow processing times and trouble billing insurance.
Myriad is considered a good company to work with, with most reviewers on Glassdoor ranking it as having good company culture and great benefits. Working at Myriad tends to be a pretty good experience. Many reviewers are from lab technicians who worked at Myriad Genetics.
We conclude our Myriad Genetics review with a comparison with Nebula Genomics and other DNA testing companies.
Nebula Genomics’s 30x Whole-Genome Sequencing service provides information about your entire genome. This includes revealing gene variants that may be linked to cancer risk.
Most of the products offered by Myriad Genetics and other clinical genetic testing companies cost much more than consumer based genetic testing. These other genetic testing companies also provide less detail about your genetic information.
Nebula Genomics is not a diagnostic company. However, the sequencing data is of the highest quality and can be used by healthcare professionals and genetic counselors.
| 23andMe | Ancestry | Myriad Genetics | Nebula Genomics | |
| DNA testing method | Microarray-based genotyping | Microarray-based genotyping | Targeted gene panels (myRisk), Whole genome sequencing (Prequel) | 30x Whole Genome Sequencing |
| Regular updates based on the latest discoveries | No | No | No | Yes (learn more) |
| Tools to explore data | Yes | Yes | myRisk management tool (for medical providers) | Yes |
| Ancestry reporting | Yes | Yes | No | Deep ancestry reporting with full Y chromosome and mtDNA sequencing |
| Data access | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, including FASTQ, BAM and VCF files |
| Cost | $99 – $199 | $99 – $119 | $0-4000+ (depending on insurance) | $0, $99, $299 |
| Clinical Diagnostics | No | No | Yes | No, but the data is of the highest quality and can be used by physicians and genetic counselors |
Other clinical genomic companies you might be interested in include the Myriad Genetics competitors.
Diagnostics and disease risk:
Includes carrier status:
Tumor genetics for personalized treatment:
Plus, check out more of the blog to learn more about the importance of sequencing Y-DNA and mtDNA and things like paternity testing.
Other companies that offer whole exome sequencing are:
Did you like our Myriad Genetics Review? More reviews can be found on our blog and check out our complete guide to the best DNA test kit and other home tests.
Christina Swords is a Graduate Medical Education Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She received a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Christina is an experienced science communicator, writer, and project manager with demonstrated communication experience with Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) science outreach and communication committee. You can contact Christina at info@nebula.org.
