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GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

fiercebiotech.com

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Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#131

Post by rpedela »

DanBC wrote: post #20
stanfordkid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is that a bad thing? Wouldn't want it popping up while I'm looking for dinner recipes, but it's a hell of a lot more useful than shoe ads. It needs to be deeply regulated -- but most ads indicating health benefits already are .

Because over-testing, over-diagnosis, and over-treatment are all associated with harm. People bang on about early intervention, and it's useful for some stuff, but for a lot of stuff there's no evidence of a reduction in all cause mortality.

Given current diagnostic technologies, correct. I think genetic data and other types of bio data can be used to invent significantly better diagnostic tools that would reduce or eliminate the problems you talk about.

For example, we currently do not have a diagnostic test that can tell the difference between a virus or bacteria so physicians prescribe antibiotics just in case. If we did then we could reduce the use of antibiotics. Genomic sequencing won't help this case specifically, but sequencing at the proteomic or metabolic level may.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#132

Post by albertgoeswoof »

therealdrag0 wrote: post #120
ironjunkie wrote: post #67

I don't want to spread FUD but why would ANYONE in their right mind give their DNA to a company in Silicon Valley that is explicitely using Google as a model for Data privacy ? (The founder of 23AndMe is the ex-wife of Google founder). Even worse, people are actually PAYING quite a lot to get the privilege of having that company playing with your most private data. This field needs to be heavily regulated. In 20 year…

Why should my DNA be private? I don't care at all about my DNA.

You will if you cant get insurance / welfare / a job / a loan because your DNA suggests that you are statistically a potential liability

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#133

Post by aaavl2821 »

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #117
aaavl2821 wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really know too much about the amount of clinical data 23andme collects and I don't know what SNP data they collect, so I can't say with certainty that they're less valuable than RGC, but I'd guess they are My argument: If you are exploring genomic datasets to find new potential drug targets, then what you really want as the output are single genes that are very strongly associated with dramatic phenotypes. D…

Actually a quick follow up : I presume that GSK thinks they can do more detailed follow up medical questionnaires on the 5m existing users than just any random sample. But will the genetic material still be viable for retesting with the more advanced chips?

I'm not sure if the samples would be sufficient for sequencing. 23andme takes saliva samples, not sure how / if they store the samples or if there would be sufficient material left to sequence.

Also it would cost maybe ~$500 / person to do whole exome sequencing, so doing this at scale is quite costly. Thats another reason you need to be targeted when recruiting populations for sequencing, it is so expensive. also RGC spent a lot of money on a high throughout, heavily automated sequencing center, so they can sequence more cost effectively than most. Even the UK Biobank genomic project is using RGC to sequence their patients

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#134

Post by kgilpin »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #5
TrainedMonkey wrote: post #3

Make no mistake about what is happening here. GSK is buying access to all of the genetic data that 23andMe has. This is why I am wary to use any 23andMe type of service. "The partners plan to use 23andMe’s data to jointly discover drug targets." They will claim all kinds of protections of course, but it is only a matter of time until genetic data starts being resold.

Both of my parents have used 23andMe. In that case although I've never consented 23andMe knows quite a bit about my genetic profile. I wonder if this sort of "inferred" data is going to be traded.

Or used against you in a court of law.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#135

Post by ironjunkie »

therealdrag0 wrote: post #120
ironjunkie wrote: post #67

I don't want to spread FUD but why would ANYONE in their right mind give their DNA to a company in Silicon Valley that is explicitely using Google as a model for Data privacy ? (The founder of 23AndMe is the ex-wife of Google founder). Even worse, people are actually PAYING quite a lot to get the privilege of having that company playing with your most private data. This field needs to be heavily regulated. In 20 year…

Why should my DNA be private? I don't care at all about my DNA.

Maybe today, but you need to imagine in 5-10 or 20 years when we will be able to statistically decide if you are a lier, lazy, strong etc etc.

A lot of things remain a mystery in our body, especially in our brain. I'm definitely not comfortable giving a perfect map of my body/brain to a private for-profit company in Silicon Valley.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#136

Post by ironjunkie »

teekno wrote: post #105
ironjunkie wrote: post #67

I don't want to spread FUD but why would ANYONE in their right mind give their DNA to a company in Silicon Valley that is explicitely using Google as a model for Data privacy ? (The founder of 23AndMe is the ex-wife of Google founder). Even worse, people are actually PAYING quite a lot to get the privilege of having that company playing with your most private data. This field needs to be heavily regulated. In 20 year…

> I don't want to spread FUD but why would ANYONE in their right mind give their DNA to a company in Silicon Valley that is explicitely using Google as a model for Data privacy ? My father has Parkinson's and provided his DNA to 23AndMe using one of their free kits [1]. Companies like this represent a chance of finding a cure. There are certainly concerns with companies accumulating large amounts of genetic data, but…

There are huge benefits, I agree with you. My concern is that 23AndMe is a for-profit company advertising the huge benefits in order to push a for-profit agenda.

What I would like to see is some tighter regulations around all of this: No sharing of specific data, complete anonymization of all the data sets would be a good start

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#137

Post by tormeh »

searine wrote: post #102
amelius wrote: post #65

Has any medical condition been solved through genotyping (as done by 23andme) yet?

23andMe as done several dozen publication performing GWAS using the genetic data combined with questionnaire data. This type of study aims to link symptoms with genetic cause. They have actually made a pretty significant impact in genetics research. They list their publciations here https://www.23andme.com/publications/

Oh man that's very cool. I'm kind of a fan of 23andMe now. A bargain for GSK, I'd imagine.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#138

Post by ironjunkie »

maxerickson wrote: post #86
ironjunkie wrote: post #67

I don't want to spread FUD but why would ANYONE in their right mind give their DNA to a company in Silicon Valley that is explicitely using Google as a model for Data privacy ? (The founder of 23AndMe is the ex-wife of Google founder). Even worse, people are actually PAYING quite a lot to get the privilege of having that company playing with your most private data. This field needs to be heavily regulated. In 20 year…

Maintaining the privacy of your own personal data is a really fragile model for resisting a dystopian society. I mean, it doesn't take very long before it's worth collecting a sample without your permission.

I agree, and DNA is actually very easy to collect without the owner's consent.

How can this be solved though? A model where DNA is only shared if you want to, and where you fully remain in control of your data.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#139

Post by ourmandave »

The state that 23&me is incorporated in needs to pass a law pronto that says your dna belongs to you (despite any ToS).

Something about affiliates (and companies buying their way in) can't use your data without express written permission.

Probably want to call the European Union on how to get the wording right and not watered down by lobbyists.

Re: GlaxoSmithKline makes $300M investment in 23andMe, forms 50-50 R&D pact

#140

Post by ethbro »

reaperducer wrote: post #124
aaavl2821 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using genetic data to find new drugs strikes me as a very good use of this data. Medical data is essential to the process of finding new drugs and treating patients and is highly regulated. I think you're right to be concerned about sharing of genetic data, but conflating facebook / google data sharing practices with medical data sharing is not appropriate If the concern is that 23and me may bring the google / FB app…

Using genetic data to find new drugs strikes me as a very good use of this data. Selling it to anyone who pays the price seems like a bad idea. Which is inevitably what will happen here the next time the company needs to "maximize shareholder value" by "utilizing its assets to their full revenue potential." Next thing you know, I end up paying higher insurance rates because some distant relative I don't know is predi…

> Selling it to anyone who pays the price seems like a bad idea. Which is inevitably what will happen here the next time the company needs to "maximize shareholder value" [...]

23andMe is still held exclusively by private capital.

Nowhere in the reporting does it note GSK negotiated the right to resell 23andMe data. Furthermore, it specifically notes "[if an option is taken to extend the arrangement for a 5th year], GSK will become 23andMe’s exclusive drug target discovery collaborator."

Edit: See searine's thread below for a better discussion of why this is critically important to drug development https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17611775

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