Since they are discontinuing their interpretation of the data, they should just open source the interpretation engine and dataset. People still have to pay the $99 for the tests to get the data to interpret, so it wouldn't harm their business. It would keep their service out of the FDA's crosshairs, while keeping the service as useful as ever. In fact, it would likely improve it over what it will become with this lat…
23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
21–30 of 68 posts
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#22Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#23This seems to be the nuclear option. As a (now fortunate) previous purchaser of 23andme, I still have my health information. The information is really valuable, and considering the price ($99!) it is cheaper than a lot of standard medical exams and bloodwork. Obviously not a replacement for any of those things, but it's amazing they can offer DNA health results for so little. The FDA seems to be mostly concerned that…
I don't see how the results could be harmful or negative. My highest risk item was a 54% chance of Type 2 Diabetes. It's interesting information, but I'm not making any huge life decisions based on it..
If you do strenuous exercise several times a week and adopt a healthy diet, your risk will drop dramatically. Was it because you already do these things?
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#24Since they are discontinuing their interpretation of the data, they should just open source the interpretation engine and dataset. People still have to pay the $99 for the tests to get the data to interpret, so it wouldn't harm their business. It would keep their service out of the FDA's crosshairs, while keeping the service as useful as ever. In fact, it would likely improve it over what it will become with this lat…
They are not discontinuing it. It is simply not available for new purchasers. I imagine once the FDA is appeased it will return.
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#25Given that 23andMe is still willing to release their raw genotype results, it seems clear that the FDA isn't objecting to that level of their work. That's comforting: evidently at least that is considered more or less accurate.
Instead, they've only redacted "23andMe’s interpretation" of the data from their reports to new customers. My take on this is that the FDA wants some sort of rigorous demonstration that 23andMe isn't making errors in its interpretation of medical data. I'm thinking specifically of stories like this one: "My deadly disease was just a 23andme bug" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6796219 It's hard to know (as a simple consumer) how common that sort of error might be: I rely on folks like the FDA to set and enforce quality standards on such things.
Similarly, I honestly don't have a great sense of how well 23andMe's interpretations reflected the full current state of known science. For instance, my memory is that they were only able to test for a few of the known breast cancer risk factor genes because others are still covered by patents. How clearly did their interpretation pages convey those gaps in what they were presenting?
I hope that 23andMe finds a way to get fully back online before long. But honestly, I'd be happiest if they manage to satisfy the regulators that they really are getting things right. Someone needs to verify claims like that for the rest of us!
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#26I bought 23andMe ages ago and haven't sent in my test yet. Because I purchased it quite a while ago, will I still be able to get all the info? If not, I'm gonna be pretty disappointed.
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#27If you think that's dumb, here are a couple of petitions you can sign: http://www.change.org/petitions/fda-administrator-margaret-h... https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/overrule-fdas-deci...
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#28Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there any way to export all existing test results and not just the raw data?
Yes, in PDF form: https://www.23andme.com/user/report/health/
Is there a more comprehensive and maybe configurable export feature available?
Re: 23andme has suspended health-related genetic tests
#30In fact, they've not only suspended health-related genetic tests, but they've done so retroactively . If you signed up for 23andme in the past two weeks, you're not getting what you paid for.