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I wonder if we've already had their testing if will we get the results.
US regulators have agreed to let a Silicon Valley biotech firm sell the first ever genetic tests to a mass market.
Starting this month, consumers will be able to send a sample of their saliva - and $199 - to 23andMe, to analyze their risk of developing 10 diseases.
Most significantly, the list includes Parkinson's disease and late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
In some cases, the test will be able to give users a specific percentage risk of developing certain diseases.
I just found this in my email so I guess we'll see.
I am happy to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 23andMe authorization to market ten direct-to-consumer, genetic health risk reports. This new category of health reports will provide customers with information about genetic variants that could increase their risk for certain diseases.
The authorization includes reports on Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Celiac Disease and Hereditary Thrombophilia as well as six additional conditions. To learn more about these reports and the additional reports covered in the authorization, you can refer to the FDA's press release or our blog.
I am proud to say we are the first and only company to receive FDA authorization to market genetic health risk reports without a prescription. It's a defining moment - giving individuals direct access to more information about how their DNA could impact their health.
The first set of new genetic health risk reports to be released in the U.S. will include Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Hereditary Thrombophilia, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, and a new carrier status report for Gaucher's Disease. These will be available by the end of April with additional reports to follow. Look for an email in the next few weeks about your eligibility to receive these reports.
I got notification today that some of these tests, including late onset Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are now available. It was a bit nerve-racking to accept the warnings that test results could be unsettling. The good news is that I don't have the variants for these diseases. It does acknowledge that genetics only play a part in the chance I could get these diseases.