Posted on 05/20/2025 7:07:56 PM PDT by bitt
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced it is buying 23andMe out of bankruptcy for $256 million – taking with it the company’s extensive trove of genetic samples and data.
It will acquire 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service, Total Health and Research Services and its large biobank, including genetic data of more than 15 million customers – raising privacy concerns from individuals who had willingly handed over the samples to completely different owners.
All of 23andMe’s genetic testing services will continue uninterrupted, and the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025 pending bankruptcy court and regulatory approvals, Regeneron said.
The Tarrytown, New York-based pharmaceutical company pledged to remain compliant with 23andMe’s consumer-privacy rules and vowed to work with a court-appointed ombudsman who will investigate the matter.
“We assure 23andMe customers that we are committed to protecting the 23andMe dataset with our high standards of data privacy, security and ethical oversight and will advance its full potential to improve human health,” Aris Baras, head of Regeneron’s genetics center, said in a statement.
But the pharmaceutical company will be acquiring an unprecedented collection of genetic data that has been building up since 23andMe launched its breakthrough direct-to-consumer testing in 2007.
The onetime Silicon Valley darling — known for its DNA testing kits and auto-generated family trees — saw its valuation soar past $6 billion after going public in 2021.
It has since plummeted to just $50 million, due in part to a massive $30 million settlement linked to a data breach that compromised the personal information of nearly 7 million users.
After the firm filed for bankruptcy in March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta urged customers to delete their data from 23andMe’s database and demand the company destroy any samples still being held before a company bought up its assets.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
p
This is NOT good.
Not got mine! Jeez who fell for this?
A couple of relatives of mine, unfortunately.
I wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole.
sad but predictable. pharma fox is now in the hen house. that data should have been destroyed.
They must have outbid the Chinese. I was certain China would acquire all that western DNA to toy around with behind closed lab doors.
What gets me is the sample DNA of all newborns. I don’t think a parent can stop it..
“It used to be that after the screening was completed the blood spots were destroyed. Not anymore. Today it is increasingly common for states to hold onto these samples for years, even permanently. Some states also use the samples for unrelated purposes, such as in scientific research, and give access to the samples to others.”
https://www.aclu.org/documents/newborn-dna-banking
Taking the COVID “vaccine” and giving your DNA to 23andMe. Idiocy knows no bounds.
My dog's snout snot and the slime on my fish pond goldfish represented me just fine, thank you.
the dar.pa involvement seems to indicate nothing good will come of this.
Good one.
I would get a DNA analysis for ancestry reasons.....But not one that puts me an a database that is sold for research.
raising privacy concerns from individuals who had willingly handed over the samples to completely different owners.
Gee...what did you think? You sold those concerns to find out you had 2% African genes.
Yall compromised yourselves.
As with everything else, follow the money and corruption!!
A Brief History of Vaccines: From Healthy to Extremely Profitable... and Dangerous
"It has since plummeted to just $50 million, due in part to a massive $30 million settlement linked to a data breach
that compromised the personal information of nearly 7 million users."
There are certain nations which have been doing "Gain-of-Function" bio-warfare research ,
who would love to get access to that genetic material for selective ethnic/genetic bio-warfare testing
The Wuhan "Bat Lady" and China immediately comes to mind.
All it takes is having a family member who did their testing for this and all future use of this data to apply to you as well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
