Myriad Genetics (Salt Lake City, Utah) announced on May 6 that it will expand its direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing campaign for BRACAnalysis, its flagship genetic test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The first campaign debuted last year in the northeastern United States at an estimated cost to Myriad of $8 million. A second campaign of approximately the same size and cost will be held in the southern region of the country, primarily Texas and Florida, which Myriad says represents 18 percent of the U.S. market for BRACAnalysis, compared with 12 percent for the northeast region.

At the Washington G-2 Reports/IOMA molecular diagnostics conference on May 2, Greg Critchfield, M.D., president of Myriad Genetics Laboratories, called the initial campaign a success in raising awareness about BRACAnalysis among physicians as well as consumers. As with the initial campaign, the new campaign begins with a direct-to-physician component that precedes the DTC advertising. According to Myriad, the physician-directed phase of the new campaign is already underway. The southern DTC campaign is expected to run from September 2008 until March 2009. For more on Myriad Genetics, see the June issue of Diagnostic Testing & Technology Report.