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posted by martyb on Sunday April 09 2017, @12:55AM   Printer-friendly
from the to-look-or-not-to-look dept.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/health/fda-genetic-tests-23andme.html

For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration said it would allow a company to sell genetic tests for disease risk directly to consumers, providing people with information about the likelihood that they could develop various conditions, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

The move on Thursday is a turnaround for the agency, which had imposed a moratorium in 2013 on disease tests sold by the company, 23andMe, which is based in Mountain View, Calif. The decision is expected to open the floodgates for more direct-to-consumer tests for disease risks, drawing a road map for other companies to do the same thing.

If you could take such a test, would you? Or would you rather just take things as they come?


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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by FlatPepsi on Sunday April 09 2017, @03:37AM (3 children)

    by FlatPepsi (3546) on Sunday April 09 2017, @03:37AM (#491059)

    You do know that your prices are an order of magnitude off, right?
    I had my DNA run for $199. It wasn't that long ago it was $99.

    So far 23amdMe seems to be eager to share with customers their data (I can even do a full ZIP download for processing by 3rd parties), and I've seen no evidence of abuse with 3rd party sharing.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday April 09 2017, @04:09AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Sunday April 09 2017, @04:09AM (#491065) Journal

    You had your DNA "run", but you didn't get your full genome for $199. If you get a cheap test from 23andMe, you are getting some partial analysis of whatever they think is important today. Get your full sequence discretely and maybe you can analyze it yourself using free software years in the future. If you're lucky, your sequence won't make it back to the FBI or insurance company (permanently).

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  • (Score: 2) by KilroySmith on Sunday April 09 2017, @04:09AM

    by KilroySmith (2113) on Sunday April 09 2017, @04:09AM (#491066)

    Sure - but they aren't offering screening for particular diseases at the moment. Presuming they get to the point of offering screening for a number of different possibilities, at $20 a pop, several hundred additional dollars are still likely. Still well below my statement, but I still hate paying for something and finding out they're selling all my data behind my back (see: TurboTax).

    The fact that you haven't seen any evidence of abuse, doesn't mean squat. Your data belongs to them for all time - a quick sell-out to an insurance firm, and it's all over. Have you ever read their data privacy policy? Could you understand it? Did it clearly prohibit the scenario I gave above? If not, your genome no longer belongs to you.

    I am absolutely thrilled by the possibilities that genetic testing opens up. I'm absolutely horrified by the possibilitie that genetic testing opens up also.

  • (Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Sunday April 09 2017, @03:06PM

    by linkdude64 (5482) on Sunday April 09 2017, @03:06PM (#491172)

    Way to completely miss the entire point of his comment.