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Pregnant patients and their doctors have long faced a scattered process when it comes to genetic screening. A test here for chromosomal conditions, another there for carrier status, sometimes a separate sample from a partner, all adding up to multiple appointments and multiple waits for results. Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) is trying to change that with the full commercial launch of its FirstGene Multiple Prenatal Screen, a lab test that runs four separate prenatal genetic screens from one blood draw, as early as eight weeks into a pregnancy.
The screen covers four distinct areas in a single report. It looks at fetal chromosome conditions such as Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome and Patau syndrome, along with sex chromosome differences and a condition called 22q11.2 microdeletion. It also screens the fetus for 19 recessive genetic conditions without needing a sample from the other biological parent, checks the pregnant patient’s own carrier status for 20 recessive conditions including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease, and assesses RhD blood compatibility between patient and fetus. Each component reports analytical sensitivity above 98% and specificity above 99%.
It helps to understand why bundling matters here. Prenatal screening guidelines already recommend several of these tests individually, but ordering them separately can mean delays, added costs and logistical friction for both patients and clinics. By folding four guideline supported screens into one order and one sample, Myriad is betting that convenience translates into earlier, more complete information for expectant parents and faster decision making for physicians. Results are expected in about 10 days.
Company leadership frames this as a meaningful step in prenatal care rather than just a product update. Brian Donnelly, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, described the launch as pairing broad clinical insight with a single sample and a competitive turnaround time. Dallas Reed, a physician who serves as Myriad’s Principal Medical Advisor, pointed to the practical burden that repeated tests and appointments place on patients, arguing that consolidating screens into one draw removes friction and speeds up conversations between doctors and patients.
The launch did not happen overnight. Myriad first offered early access to FirstGene in mid 2025 through a large clinical study called CONNECTOR, designed to enroll more than 5,000 patients and generate real world validation data before a full rollout. That groundwork, along with analytical validation published in the journal Clinical Chemistry, appears to have positioned this week’s announcement as the product’s official commercial debut rather than a pilot.
FirstGene also does not stand alone in Myriad’s lineup. It joins existing offerings including the Prequel Prenatal Screen, the Foresight Carrier Screen and the SneakPeek Early Gender Test, giving the company a broader menu of prenatal products aimed at different points in a patient’s pregnancy journey. Myriad describes its goal as matching the right test to the right patient at the right stage, an approach that reflects how varied prenatal care needs can be from one pregnancy to the next.
Whether FirstGene meaningfully shifts how obstetricians order prenatal testing will likely depend on adoption among clinicians and payers over the coming months, along with how the CONNECTOR study data holds up as it matures. For now, the product represents a concrete attempt to simplify a part of prenatal care that has historically required patients to navigate multiple tests, multiple providers and multiple waiting periods just to get a fuller picture of their pregnancy’s genetic risk profile.
