Here’s another thing to file in the “Europe’s a better place to launch devices and diagnostics” bucket: Controversial DNA testmaker 23andMe just made a smooth entrance into the United Kingdom market.
The Food and Drug Administration made the Google-backed company pull its health-related test – which tells consumers whether they’re genetically prone to certain diseases – from the U.S. market last year. Regulators said that false positives or false negatives could improperly sway a patient to take “morbidity inducing” actions.
It still markets its ancestry test; the disease-gauging test is currently seeking U.S. regulatory approval.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The test costs 125 pounds in the UK, about $196, and looks for the presence or predisposition to inherited conditions like cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease or sickle cell anemia.
”People who use these products should ensure that they are CE marked and remember that no test is 100% reliable so think carefully before using personal genome services,” the representative told the BBC. “If after using the service, you have any questions or concerns you should speak to your healthcare professional.”
Thanks to the company’s recent success, Wired just published an excerpt from its forthcoming February 2015 feature on 23andMe, which centers on founder Anne Wojcicki – who happens to be Google cofounder Sergei Brin’s wife.
“My mum doesn’t trust the system and she hammered it into me that you can’t just trust that somebody is going to do the right thing for you,” Wojcicki told Wired. “If you want to have the best health outcome, you need to be in charge of your health.”
