The US FDA has granted consumer genetics provider 23andMe permission to continue providing customers with health data, two years after the regulator forced it to comply with an order to cease offering its services. In a letter sent on Friday to the company and obtained by Motherboard, regulators said that they were concerned about “potential risks associated with your continued use of personal genetic information collected from consumers.” Many of the customers allow their genetic information to be used for medical studies, and some also provide additional information, such as what diseases they have. Previously, the company offered far more details to consumers, and at a lower price point of $99, however, crucially, this time with FDA approval. Earlier this month, J. Craig Venter announced that his Human Longevity outfit was to enter into partnership with Discovery Ltd to offer whole exome sequencing, at a $250 price point.
The US FDA has granted consumer genetics provider 23andMe permission to continue providing customers with health data, two years after the regulator forced it to comply with an order to cease offering its services. In a letter sent on Friday to the company and obtained by Motherboard, regulators said that they were concerned about “potential risks associated with your continued use of personal genetic information collected from consumers.” Previously, the company offered far more details to consumers, and at a lower price point of $99, however, crucially, this time with FDA approval. Earlier this month, J. Craig Venter announced that his Human Longevity outfit was to enter into partnership with Discovery Ltd to offer whole exome sequencing, at a $250 price point.