By offering inexpensive genetic testing kits, the Google-backed startup, 23andMe, promised the world that we could take charge of our DNA destinies. They said they could provide information on a person's susceptibility to 250 diseases and health conditions, including identify potential life-threatening illnesses before it's too late. But now, the Food and Drug Administration has quashed their efforts, saying there's not enough science to back up their claims.
The F.D.A. asserts that only tests that have been approved by the government can tell customers whether or not they're at risk for any disease. Because 23andMe's test has not been evaluated by the government, the F.D.A. has ordered them to halt selling it. They fear that unnecessary medical procedures might result. But, should the F.D.A. be regulating whether an individual has access to information about their own genetic material?
23andMe has 15 days to respond to the F.D.A.'s decision. For now, their $99 DNA tests are no more. (ABC News)
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