Myriad Genetics Advances Antithrombin Drug Development

11 October 2005

Myriad Genetics, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MYGN), announced today that it is rapidly nearing completion of the
preclinical data package on MPC-0920, its antithrombin drug candidate, for
submission to the FDA prior to beginning human clinical trials.
MPC-0920 is an orally available, direct thrombin inhibitor. It is
designed to address the clinical needs for rapid and predictable anticoagulant
action, an improved therapeutic window, predictable patient response and
increased efficacy. MPC-0920 has been the subject of 27 preclinical GLP
studies to date, comprising safety, toxicity, pharmacokinetics and
formulation. MPC-0920 is covered by four issued patents -- two in the U.S.
and two foreign.
"MPC-0920 is an intriguing compound in a vitally important therapeutic
area," said Adrian Hobden, Ph.D., President of Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
"We look forward to completing the preclinical data package for submission to
the FDA this fiscal year."
Thrombosis, the formation of a clot within a blood vessel, is the most
common cause of death in the United States. Approximately two million
individuals in the United States die each year from an arterial or venous
thrombosis or its consequences. In addition, thrombosis results in
significant morbidity particularly in the elderly. The most common form of
thrombosis is deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg. This type of clot can
break apart, travel up the leg and through the heart, lodging in the lungs and
causing blockage of an artery. Known as pulmonary embolism, this condition
causes lung tissue death and is an often-fatal complication of DVT.
The drugs currently used to treat this condition are the anticoagulants
heparin and warfarin. They are widely used, one-third of hospitalized
patients in the United States, approximately 12 million in total, receive
heparin. However, both drugs have major drawbacks. Heparin requires
intravenous administration and blood-level monitoring. Heparin-induced
thrombocytopenia, low platelet count, is the most common serious drug reaction
in hospitals. Warfarin is the only orally-available anti-thrombotic currently
approved for use in the US. It has a very small therapeutic window and
serious drug interaction problems and is very hard to use clinically.
Accordingly, there is a large and urgent unmet medical need for new therapies.
The total market for medicines to treat thrombotic disorders in 2003 was
$6.5 billion.

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 http://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 include: the rapid completion of the preclinical
data package on MPC-0920, the Company's antithrombin drug candidate, for
submission to the FDA prior to beginning human clinical trials and completion
of the preclinical data package for submission to the FDA this fiscal year.
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, 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, 2005. All information in this
press release is as of October 11, 2005, and Myriad undertakes no duty to
update this information unless required by law.