23AndMe Mixes Up Test Results – Incorrect Processing With Approximately 96 Consumer Samples

Was it perhaps the LabCorp portion of the process that had issues? It’s not explained fully if the results were just mixed up or if there were actually other processes in the picture here. Almost everyone knows LabCorp as they are one of the “approved” labs where many insurers send them for testing. Back in 2008 23AndMe has to make the change for licensing purposes in the state of California.

LabCorp Takes Over as 23andMe's Genotyping Service Provider

Also if you are not aware, the National Genetics Institute is a subsidiary of LabCorp and you can read more at the link below.

National Genetics Institute Testing Services - Subsidiary of LabCorp....

If it was in fact a mix up of results, bar code tracking systems, like I talk about with Microsoft Tags could be used, but being this is a division of Google they might have other system they may look at. As an example, before Provenge, the prostate cancer vaccine was approved, a part of their FDA approval lied in the fact that they would not have errors and had in place a sufficient software system and a way of having any mix ups of such as patients send their blood to their facility and it is incubated and returned back, again an area where we do not want errors. You can read about their tracking system and software below.

Dendreon “Intellivenge” Algorithmic Software Supporting Administration of Provenge – Seeking FDA Approval by May 1st

I somewhat focus on this a bit being I spent over 20 years in logistics and know what can and does go on at the transportation end of things. The logistics business is highly tech motivated when compared to healthcare. BD

A leading personal genomics company, 23andMe, says some of its customers received the wrong test results recently because samples were incorrectly processed. Up to 96 customers were affected by the mix-up. According to the blog Genetic Future, which reported on the mix-up Monday, some customers were upset about the test results before learning that they were given the wrong information. One woman suspected her baby might have been switched in the hospital at birth.

The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., has since notified all of the customers affected and posted an announcement on its website that is accessible to customers who have accounts with the company.

Partial of the statement issued to the Los Angeles Times

“Up to 96 customers may have received and viewed data that was not their own. Upon learning of the mix-ups, we immediately identified all customers potentially affected, notified them of the problem and removed the data from their accounts. The lab is now concurrently conducting an investigation and re-processing the samples of the affected customers and their accurate results will be posted early next week. We expect the investigation will be complete over the next several days and we will provide further details when we have them.”