After two years, federal approval has officially been granted to 23andMe, which provides carrier status, wellness, trait and ancestry reports to consumers for its Personal Genome Service. So CEO Anne Wojcicki can take a deep breath and move forward.
Hopefully she has taken a vacation.
In an interview with Bloomberg, she’s made it clear that genetic testing will be her focus for the rest of her life, she believes this is the future foundation of healthcare and she is wedded to what 23andMe is doing.
“When I think about my success moment, it will be when we have that kind of cure, that came because millions of people came together and shared their data … because of that, we were able to create something,” Wojcicki said.
Wojcicki doesn’t deny that companies like Google and Apple are making an impact in terms of fitness and wellness, but that’s separate from what 23andMe is doing with a specific focus on genetics.
She also touched on the topic of transparency and where Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes fits into that subject. Wojcicki acknowledges that Holmes didn’t technically need to disclose information about what work was being done, but transparency is important, and it’s important that the FDA is looking to close some of those gaps.
As Biospace reported, genetics isn’t the only space 23andMe is looking to occupy:
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
23andMe is now looking at expanding beyond the development of DNA testing and exploring the possibility of developing its own medications. In July, the company raised $79 million to partly fund that effort. Additionally, the funding will likely help the company continue with the development of its new therapeutics division. In March, 23andMe began to delve into the therapeutics market, to create a third pillar behind the company’s personal genetics tests and sales of genetic data to pharmaceutical companies.
Despite all of the ups and downs 23andMe has worked through recently, and personal life struggles for Wojcicki, she is doing her part to stay above water. And it looks promising.
Photo: Screenshot via Bloomberg
