Technology Review: Genetic Testing for Consumers Scrutinized

All genetic testing must show that a physician was involved in the process. If you have looked at these sites in the past, they advertised physician connected to the site to connect and what’s more of an issue today is that there is a shortage of MDs that understand personalized medicine and genomics, so it’s somewhat of a Catch 22 in the fact that yes, they want doctor involved, but yet there’s a shortage of those who might be qualified to order and decipher the results properly for a patient. BD

The deadline is up today for 13 personal-genomics companies that were sent cease-and-desist letters last week by the state of California. The companies, which offer genetic-testing services directly to consumers via the Internet, will need to show that they are complying with state law. Most notably, they will need to prove that physicians order the tests. At issue are novel services offered by three companies: Navigenics; 23andMe, another California-based startup; and DecodeMe, an offshoot of the Icelandic genetics company Decode. All three companies scan an individual's entire genome for specific genetic variations that have previously been linked to diseases, such as diabetes, macular degeneration, and breast cancer.