Posted by jrbecker on October 18, 2005, at 11:17:46
Myriad Genetics Publishes Depression Gene Discovery
10/18/2005
Source: Myriad Genetics, Inc.
Myriad Genetics, Inc. , announced today that its discovery of the Apoptosis Protease Activating Factor 1 (Apaf-1) gene for major depression has been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, and is available online today.
The Apaf-1 gene was discovered using large families from Utah that contain multiple cases of major depressive disorder. The evidence presented in the study supports a new hypothesis that increased destruction of brain cells through apoptosis leads to major depression in individuals with specific variations in the Apaf-1 gene. The discovery has important implications for the development of a new class of drugs to treat depression, a common and devastating disease.
"We are very excited by the potential of the Apaf-1 gene discovery to lead to new therapeutics for the treatment of depression," said Peter Meldrum, President and Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc. "There is a real need for novel, more effective therapies to treat this debilitating illness."
The Apaf-1 gene makes the (Apaf-1) protein. This protein is an activator of a cascade of events leading to the destruction of a cell. Certain forms of the gene, that were found to be over-represented in families with major depression, cause a gain of function, leading to increased cell death. It is this cell death increase that is involved in the cause of major depressive disorder, a novel hypothesis proposed by Myriad researchers and their collaborators in this paper.
Gain of function variants (mutations) that cause disease are of special interest to drug developers because it is often far easier to block the action of a rogue protein rather than to restore a function that has been lost. For this reason, Myriad's drug development scientists believe that molecules that inhibit Apaf-1 and its resulting brain cell self-destruction (apoptosis) may provide the source of a new class of drugs to treat major depressive disorder. Myriad has filed applications for U.S. and foreign patents covering the Apaf-1 gene and its use in the diagnosis and treatment of depression.
The study, entitled "Variants in Apaf-1 Segregating with Major Depression Promote Apoptosome Function," is to be published in the scientific journal, Molecular Psychiatry, Vol. 10, issue 11, November 2005. It has been made available for early release online today by the publisher, at http://www.nature.com/mp/index.html.
About Depression
Depression is a group of serious, debilitating illnesses that include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and dysthymic disorder. Depressive disorders affect approximately 19 million American adults or about 10% of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. More than one in 20 Americans has experienced major depression in the last 12 months and more than one in 10 has experienced the mental illness at some point in life, according to a new national survey. The highest lifetime risk of depression is among baby boomers aged 45 to 64, which researchers say is a shift from younger adults who were most at risk for depression in surveys conducted in the 1980s and 1990s.
About Myriad
Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel healthcare products. The Company develops and markets predictive medicine products, and is developing and intends to market therapeutic products. Myriad's news and other information are available on the Company's Web site at www.myriad.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements are based on management's current expectation and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, Myriad's drug development scientists belief that molecules that inhibit Apaf-1 and its resulting brain cell self-destruction (apoptosis) may provide the source of a new class of drugs to treat major depressive disorder; uncertainties as to the extent of future government regulation of Myriad Genetics' business; uncertainties as to whether Myriad Genetics and its collaborators will be successful in developing, and obtaining regulatory approval for, and commercial acceptance of, therapeutic compounds; the risk that markets will not exist for therapeutic compounds that Myriad Genetics develops or if such markets exist, that Myriad Genetics will not be able to sell compounds, which it develops, at acceptable prices; and the risk that the Company will not be able to sustain revenue growth for its predictive medicine business and products. These and other risks are identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2004. All information in this press release is as of October 18, 2005, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
CONTACT: William A. Hockett, Vice President of Corporate Communications,Myriad Genetics, Inc., +1-801-584-3600, bhockett@myriad.com
Web site: http://www.nature.com/mp/index.html/
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