Big Pharma Will Use Your 23andMe DNA Results to Develop New Drugs

If yous're one of the more than than five meg people who has used home DNA testing kit 23andMe for ancestry reports and genetic history, your genetic information may be used to develop new drugs.

The dwelling DNA testing service announced a 4-twelvemonth deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), giving the manufacturer exclusive rights to 23andMe'south data. GSK also announced information technology is investing $300 million to take a stake in 23andMe.

23andMe users are asked if they concord to participate in scientific research, an opt-in clause that volition at present extend into active drug research and development.

Customers can opt in or out at any fourth dimension if they don't wish to participate in the research, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki said in a web log post. Ideally, the partnership will advance the evolution of pharmaceutical breakthroughs and accelerate the company's mission of improving healthcare, she said.

"I started 23andMe with the conventionalities that by getting people interested in learning well-nigh themselves and participating in research, we would all benefit," wrote Wojcicki. "Today is an important milestone in how 23andMe volition be able to impact the lives of those with disease and how we will be able to improve the future of healthcare."

GSK's official statement said the collaboration will focus on discovering more precision medicines based on genetic data, identifying patient subgroups that are likely to respond to targeted treatments, and more efficient recruiting of patients with specific diseases to participate in clinical studies. The announcement states that over 80 percent of 23andMe's client base has consented to participate in inquiry.

GSK and 23andMe's start research project, currently in pre-clinical development, will look at a gene called LRRK2 to potentially develop new drugs for treating Parkinson's illness. 23andMe has besides started some of its ain early stage drug evolution enquiry, which will be incorporated into the ongoing collaboration.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical, from private profits to data privacy.

In an interview with NBC News, Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, pointed out that this partnership involves two for-turn a profit companies using data that 23andMe customers paid for. He said the companies should pay any 23andMe customers whose DNA is used in inquiry, and also brought into question how the privacy of 23andMe customers' testing data will be ensured.

"Are they going to offering rebates to people who opt in so their customers aren't paying for the privilege of 23andMe working with a for-turn a profit company in a for-profit enquiry project?" he told NBC News. "When 2 for-profit companies enter into an agreement where the jewel in the crown is your gene sequence and you are actually paying for the privilege of participating, I think that'southward upside-downwards."

About Rob Marvin

Rob Marvin

Rob Marvin is PCMag'due south Acquaintance Features Editor. He writes features, news, and trend stories on all manner of emerging technologies. Beats include: startups, business and venture capital, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, AI, augmented and virtual reality, IoT and automation, legal cannabis tech, social media, streaming, security, mobile commerce, M&A, and amusement. Rob was previously Assistant Editor and Acquaintance Editor in PCMag'due south Business organization department. Prior to that, he served as an editor at SD Times. He graduated from Syracuse University's South.I. Newhouse Schoolhouse of Public Communications. You lot tin besides find his business and tech coverage on Entrepreneur and Fox Concern. Rob is also an unabashed nerd who does occasional entertainment writing for …