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

fiercebiotech.com

171–180 of 228 posts

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

#171
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe there are services that will do whole genome seq for you for under $10k(and I assume won’t keep your data). You could then use Promethease for analysis. I’m unaware of any way you could do self-DNA testing at home unless you wanted to spend $100k+ on equipment, reagents, etc. The Nanopore might be relevant but I haven’t looked into it much.

Full Genomes Corporation[1] will do WGS at 30x for $1295, WGS at 20x for $900, and Long Read WGS (newer technology) for $2900. For Prime Day, Dante Labs[2] had a sale on a 30x WGS for $349; it's still on sale for $499. Once you have a WGS you might consider donating it to the Harvard Personal Genomes Project[3], Open Humans[4], or putting it on GitHub[5]. [1]: https://www.fullgenomes.com/whole-genome-sequencing/ [2]:…

I've purchased a handful of Dante Labs 30x WGS kits on Amazon over the last couple of days. You didn't hear it from me, but the kits are still on sale on Amazon for $349...

... And an additional secret $100 discount during checkout.

This is $250 WGS at 30x coverage. It should be front-page news.

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

#172
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s wrong with a life insurance company getting a more accurate probability of me dying from some rare disease? Maybe my rates should be raised if there’s a higher risk of me kicking the bucket. This works both ways too - my DNA can reveal that I will likely live a long premium-paying life. Insurance companies make money by being accurate, not by under or overestimating the risks. If DNA helps them be more accurat…

Well, shucks, why not apply the exact same argument to health insurance as well? Or even auto insurance? While adverse selection is undeniably a tricky problem, the underlying raison d'etre is pooled risk, to help individuals and families mitigate catastrophic losses. Maybe you're all right with the prospect of future analyses condemning to uninsurability folks with rare combinations of alleles that turn out to be st…

If you are referring to the situation in the United States, where health care is managed mostly by private health insurance, it is already a terrible social contract.

The whole system is going to have to adapt to more information on individuals being available.

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

#173
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why couldn't you run those tests several times?

These are not false positives, because you ran the test wrong. Suppose a male with red hair, green eyes, and AB+ blood actually has those traits they are just not enough to unlikely identify someone. Adding more genetic traits on it's own is not enough for example you have identical twin or even triplet separated at birth. The core issue is DNA marks are not independent though people often assume they are.

Society will have to adapt to a better understanding that this is true. Keeping one’s DNA secret is not going to be a useful defense against ignorance of how DNA works.

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

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You could have your genome sequenced and then copyright it?

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

#175

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…

Playing Devil's Advocate here but: I pay more for car insurance because I'm male, despite not having a single accident in 18 years of driving. Maybe the new DNA-based system will be fairer?

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

#176
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's already being done. Unless you have certain genetic markers in your tumor, insurance will deny certain therapies since they are unlikely to work. Why is that bad?

The insurance carrier has a conflict of interest. Over in Europe they have public bodies issuing treatment guidelines, but that would be a political impossibility in the US.

As far as I know the UK is in Europe, and my father has recently been denied cancer treatment by multiple providers due to a low probability of success. That's by the NHS and a few private providers. The argument is that he'll have a better quality of life if he doesn't spend the rest of the time he has left going through pointless treatments that won't help anyway, an argument our family didn't initially accept but are certainly coming to terms with.

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

#177
post #13

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.

Imagine the possibilities of direct to consumer targeted marketing: “ Based on your genetic profile you’re 27% more likely to develop ________, talk to your doctor about how GSK’s _________ can help ”

I don't see how this is any different to:

“Based on your weight you’re 27% more likely to develop heart disease or cancer, talk to your doctor about how diet and exercise can help”

Which I personally think is a very good thing, but a lot of other people see as "fat shaming" and a gross violation of their human rights.

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

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Full Genomes Corporation[1] will do WGS at 30x for $1295, WGS at 20x for $900, and Long Read WGS (newer technology) for $2900. For Prime Day, Dante Labs[2] had a sale on a 30x WGS for $349; it's still on sale for $499. Once you have a WGS you might consider donating it to the Harvard Personal Genomes Project[3], Open Humans[4], or putting it on GitHub[5]. [1]: https://www.fullgenomes.com/whole-genome-sequencing/ [2]:…

I've purchased a handful of Dante Labs 30x WGS kits on Amazon over the last couple of days. You didn't hear it from me, but the kits are still on sale on Amazon for $349... ... And an additional secret $100 discount during checkout. This is $250 WGS at 30x coverage. It should be front-page news.

Can you provide a link or more info? I’m not seeing it. It seems to be at $499.

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

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Full Genomes Corporation[1] will do WGS at 30x for $1295, WGS at 20x for $900, and Long Read WGS (newer technology) for $2900. For Prime Day, Dante Labs[2] had a sale on a 30x WGS for $349; it's still on sale for $499. Once you have a WGS you might consider donating it to the Harvard Personal Genomes Project[3], Open Humans[4], or putting it on GitHub[5]. [1]: https://www.fullgenomes.com/whole-genome-sequencing/ [2]:…

I've purchased a handful of Dante Labs 30x WGS kits on Amazon over the last couple of days. You didn't hear it from me, but the kits are still on sale on Amazon for $349... ... And an additional secret $100 discount during checkout. This is $250 WGS at 30x coverage. It should be front-page news.

Are the results of WGS + analysis with promethease more insightful than the results of 23andMe?

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

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Full Genomes Corporation[1] will do WGS at 30x for $1295, WGS at 20x for $900, and Long Read WGS (newer technology) for $2900. For Prime Day, Dante Labs[2] had a sale on a 30x WGS for $349; it's still on sale for $499. Once you have a WGS you might consider donating it to the Harvard Personal Genomes Project[3], Open Humans[4], or putting it on GitHub[5]. [1]: https://www.fullgenomes.com/whole-genome-sequencing/ [2]:…

I've purchased a handful of Dante Labs 30x WGS kits on Amazon over the last couple of days. You didn't hear it from me, but the kits are still on sale on Amazon for $349... ... And an additional secret $100 discount during checkout. This is $250 WGS at 30x coverage. It should be front-page news.

Link? I'm seeing $499 in checkout on Amazon.
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