what's wrong with those consumer genomics companies?

by Beyond Lab

After the action of New York state about 2 months ago, California is taking a similar approach to try to regulate consumer genomics (personal genomics) companies from offering genome services without prescription from doctors. With many posts in my blog talking about the current situation of personal genomics, you might understand that one of the basic reasons is that it is not ready yet. (Most) Consumers feel what they got from the services didn't worth the money. As many experts suggested, the current consumer genomics services should be considered as "recreational genomics" -- therefore whichever company marketing these services should not relate them to health or medical implications. Otherwise, you have to get physician's prescription. So, at this point, it is reasonable for New York and California two states to initiate some regulations.

This is a good thing!

Al Gore and personal genomics

by Beyond Lab

Do you know that Al Gore, former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner, has a close connection to personal genomics company Navigenics?

Here it is. Gore is a partner with the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, the lead investor in Navigenics. Navigenics co-founder David Agus is also his friend. He said at one occasion on Navigenics that "it's going to be a fantastic success." However if you think about it, how much does he know about gene, genome and diseases?? Probably not much. Because he is certainly not in the field.

But if he promotes this personal genomics service like he promoted his global warming film, Beyond Lab thinks that Navigenics could actually get some sort of success. --Just joking.

But this certainly could be one of Navigenics' marketing places.

Blood Matters, facing genetic mutations

by Beyond Lab

What will happen after having your personal genome mapped (or sequenced or SNP'ed)? Will your life be changed if there is an well-established disease causing mutation?

If you are wondering these questions, please check this book out.

Blood Matters From Inherited Illness to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene. By Masha Gessen.

Masha carries a known BRCA1 mutation which is known to be a cause of breast cancer and ovary cancer. She inherited this mutation from her mother who died of breast cancer. This book described how her life has been changed after knowing the positive mutation. She has several options: 1, ignore it and live a "normal" life; 2. have breasts removed; 3. have ovaries removed; 4. have both breasts and ovaries removed; 5. monitor closely (which you should do anyway); 6. try to improve physical/immune system and fight against potential cancer.

What's her choice?

Although I haven't read the book yet, it certainly is on my list.

talks on consumer genomics or personal genome

by Beyond Lab

As noted in one of my earlier posts, there are a lot of issues surrounding consumer genomics (personal genome) services /products and talks between academic and industry are required. Well one such discussion just happened last week at Cold Spring Harbor Lab (CSHL).

At the Biology of Genomes meeting at CSHL, one section witnessed Dietrich Stephan, co-founder and CSO of Navigenics; Linda Avey, 23andMe co-founder; Kari Stefansson, deCodeme president, CEO, and director; Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Other participants included Kathy Hudson from Johns Hopkins University and Joseph McInerney from the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics. Eric Lander was also there.

A lot of "existing" issues were discussed, especially the usefulness of personal genome. If you want to know more about the discussions please visit Daniel Macarthur's blog. I really like the comments about "a 'wiki-style' catalog of genetic associations".

It's Google, again!

by Beyond Lab

Just wondering, do you want to have your personal genome information go public like James Watson? Be careful if you pick 23andme or Navigenics to have your DNA sequenced. Google just invested a big lot of money to Navigenics. Eventually, Google will probably put everything up to the web including indexing your DNA.

Just kidding. What I don't really understand is to me (and certainly a lot of other scientists in the field), personal genome or consumer genomics is certainly not ready yet, but why so many people are jumping into this water??!! Is it fun?

Maybe Google will put ad links to every possible website and to promote eMarketing of this 'promising' new thing. One day, conversation will start like this, "Sequenced yet?"

consumer genomics, educational or medical

by Beyond Lab

New York State sent letters to companies offering consumer genomics tests (personal genomome) because the state considers these tests as "medical" test and should obtain a permit before being prescribed by physicians. The 23 companies include Navigenics, 23andMe, Affymetrix, Illumina, and HairDx etc. Some companies claim consumer genomics is educational, therefore should not require special permit. What on earth is this?

--This is a gray area. But considering the massive information (potentially informative at many aspects), I tend to think that consumer genomics belongs to those genetics tests which are not simply educational. Proper regulations are necessary. FDA probably should hold some kind of panel discussion before it really becomes a problem. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is holding such a symposium late this year on this topic (both technology and applications). It is a quickly expanding area involving a lot of deciplines, which makes this kind of discussion important.

I am exciting to see what other people say. So please leave your opinions here.

personal genome, internet and eMarketing

by Beyond Lab

I did a simple experiment today --search the internet for "personal genome" using different search engines --just want to see what you get on the first page. Here are the results. Only 23andme, which is literally part of google, shows up in google search. Seems some of the companies need to do some search engine optimization (SEO) if they want to have better internet marketing.

Google:


Yahoo:


MSN Live:


PS. There are too many terms with basically same meaning. For example, if you try "consumer genomcis" on these search engines, you will get different hits. But the fact is NO companies were on the first pages.