Joanna Rudnick Challenges Myriad's Price Hike on BRCA Testing

During the making of In the Family, Rudnick discovered the BRCA genes were patented and that Myriad Genetics in Salt Lake City had a monopoly on all BRCA testing. She took hercrew to visit Myriad and interviewed the founder and Chief Scientific Officer Mark Skolnick, challenging him on the validity of the patents and calling into question the expensive price tag on the test. During the interview, Skolnick compares the patents on the genes to patents on iPods and admits that it’s a “good question” as to why the cost of the test is increasing (now $3400) when the technology is getting faster and cheaper.