23andMe, renowned for ancestry tracing, steps into healthcare with “Total Health”, a service set to decode your health secrets embedded in your genes for $1,188 a year.
This leap from mere curiosity to actionable health insights exemplifies 23andMe’s ethos of evolving with scientific advancements. It also addresses earlier concerns on the misinterpretation of the data, false positives, and consumers left without healthcare professional support that the company faced in the past.
23andMe journey into healthcare:
- 2006: Founded with the aim to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome.
- 2007: Launched Personal Genome Service.
- 2013: FDA issues a warning letter prohibiting marketing of the Saliva Collection Kit and PGS until it received proper marketing authorization for the device
- 2015: FDA authorized the marketing of a Bloom Syndrome carrier test, marking a significant regulatory milestone.
- 2017: Expanded to offer risk reports for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
- 2021: Acquired Lemonaid Health, stepping into telehealth.
- 2023: Launches Total Health, transitioning into a holistic healthcare provider.
Total Health, employing exome sequencing, unravels the entire protein-coding region of your DNA, spotlighting “actionable” genes. With healthcare practitioners on board, 23andMe’s endeavor isn’t just to hand over a report, but to guide you through a personalized health regimen, marking a significant stride in proactive healthcare.
This service, available from November seems to be a significant milestone in pivoting 23andme from scientific entertainment and curiosity, towards a proper healthcare service.
