{"id":7227,"date":"2025-05-20T18:52:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T18:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/23andme-has-found-a-buyer-heres-what-might-happen-to-its-genetic-data\/"},"modified":"2025-05-20T18:52:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T18:52:58","slug":"23andme-has-found-a-buyer-heres-what-might-happen-to-its-genetic-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/23andme-has-found-a-buyer-heres-what-might-happen-to-its-genetic-data\/","title":{"rendered":"23andMe Has Found a Buyer\u2014Here\u2019s What Might Happen to Its Genetic Data"},"content":{"rendered":"
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23andMe has been sold for less than 95 percent of what it was worth at its peak. Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s <\/span>been <\/span>a <\/span>turbulent <\/span>stretch <\/span>for <\/span>23andMe<\/a>, <\/span>the <\/span>consumer <\/span>DNA <\/span>testing <\/span>company <\/span>once <\/span>famous <\/span>for <\/span>its <\/span>saliva-<\/span>based <\/span>ancestry <\/span>kits. <\/span>After <\/span>grappling <\/span>with <\/span>financial <\/span>losses, <\/span>data <\/span>breaches, <\/span>lawsuits <\/span>and <\/span>a <\/span>Chapter <\/span>11 <\/span>bankruptcy <\/span>filing, <\/span>the <\/span>company\u2014<\/span>and <\/span>its <\/span>vast <\/span>genetic <\/span>database <\/span>of <\/span>roughly <\/span>15 <\/span>million <\/span>users\u2014<\/span>is <\/span>now <\/span>being <\/span>acquired <\/span>by <\/span>Regeneron<\/a> <\/span>Pharmaceuticals, <\/span>a Tarrytown, N.Y.-based <\/span>biotech <\/span>firm <\/span>known <\/span>for <\/span>developing <\/span>treatments <\/span>for <\/span>a <\/span>wide <\/span>range <\/span>of <\/span>diseases, both companies announced yesterday (May 19). <\/span>The <\/span>deal <\/span>is <\/span>expected <\/span>to <\/span>close <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>third <\/span>quarter <\/span>of <\/span>2025. <\/span>Regeneron <\/span>emphasized <\/span>that <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>uphold <\/span>all <\/span>relevant <\/span>privacy <\/span>laws <\/span>and <\/span>consumer <\/span>protections <\/span>regarding <\/span>the <\/span>handling <\/span>of <\/span>genetic <\/span>data.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/section>\n

\u201cWe are pleased to have reached a transaction that maximizes the value of the business and enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice and consent with respect to their genetic data,\u201d said Mark Jensen<\/a>, chair of the special committee of 23andMe\u2019s board of directors, in a statement.<\/p>\n

The <\/span>acquisition <\/span>marks <\/span>the <\/span>end <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>volatile <\/span>chapter <\/span>for <\/span>23andMe, <\/span>which <\/span>was <\/span>co-<\/span>founded <\/span>in <\/span>2006 <\/span>by <\/span>Anne <\/span>Wojcicki <\/span>and <\/span>quickly <\/span>gained <\/span>traction <\/span>with <\/span>its <\/span>consumer-<\/span>focused <\/span>genetic <\/span>health <\/span>and <\/span>ancestry <\/span>tests. <\/span>After <\/span>going <\/span>public <\/span>in <\/span>2021, <\/span>the <\/span>company <\/span>hit <\/span>a <\/span>peak <\/span>valuation <\/span>of $<\/span>6 <\/span>billion.<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>the <\/span>business <\/span>model <\/span>proved <\/span>fragile. <\/span><\/a>Most <\/span>customers <\/span>only <\/span>needed <\/span>to <\/span>purchase <\/span>a <\/span>single <\/span>test, <\/span>limiting <\/span>opportunities <\/span>for <\/span>recurring <\/span>revenue. <\/span>The <\/span>situation <\/span>worsened <\/span>after <\/span>a <\/span>2023 <\/span>data <\/span>breach <\/span>compromised <\/span>information <\/span>from <\/span>about <\/span>7 <\/span>million <\/span>users, <\/span>triggering <\/span>a <\/span>class <\/span>action <\/span>lawsuit <\/span>and <\/span>further <\/span>eroding <\/span>trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tensions <\/span>escalated <\/span>in <\/span>September <\/span>2024 <\/span>when <\/span>23andMe\u2019s <\/span>independent <\/span>board <\/span>members <\/span>resigned, <\/span>citing <\/span>conflicts <\/span>with <\/span>Wojcicki. <\/span>By <\/span>March, <\/span>the <\/span>company <\/span>filed <\/span>for <\/span>bankruptcy <\/span>protection, <\/span>and <\/span>Wojcicki <\/span>stepped <\/span>down <\/span>as <\/span>CEO <\/span>while <\/span>signaling <\/span>her <\/span>intention <\/span>to <\/span>buy <\/span>the <\/span>business <\/span>at <\/span>auction. <\/span>Her <\/span>bid <\/span>was <\/span>ultimately <\/span>topped <\/span>by <\/span>Regeneron. <\/span><\/p>\n

Regeneron <\/span>has <\/span>developed <\/span>and <\/span>commercialized <\/span>treatments <\/span>for <\/span>conditions <\/span>including <\/span>cancer, <\/span>asthma, <\/span>blindness, <\/span>Ebola <\/span>and <\/span>Covid-<\/span>19. \u201c<\/span>We <\/span>believe <\/span>we <\/span>can <\/span>help <\/span>23andMe <\/span>deliver <\/span>and <\/span>build <\/span>upon <\/span>its <\/span>mission <\/span>to <\/span>help <\/span>those <\/span>interested <\/span>in <\/span>learning <\/span>about <\/span>their <\/span>own <\/span>DNA <\/span>and <\/span>how <\/span>to <\/span>improve <\/span>their <\/span>personal <\/span>health, <\/span>while <\/span>furthering <\/span>Regeneron\u2019s <\/span>efforts <\/span>to <\/span>use <\/span>large-<\/span>scale <\/span>genetics <\/span>research <\/span>to <\/span>improve <\/span>the <\/span>way <\/span>society <\/span>treats <\/span>and <\/span>prevents <\/span>illness <\/span>overall,\u201d <\/span>said <\/span>George <\/span>Yancopoulos, <\/span>the <\/span>company\u2019s <\/span>president <\/span>and <\/span>chief <\/span>scientific <\/span>officer.<\/span><\/p>\n

What will happen your genetic data?<\/h3>\n

As <\/span>part <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>acquisition, <\/span>Regeneron <\/span>will <\/span>not <\/span>only <\/span>obtain <\/span>23andMe\u2019s <\/span>genetic <\/span>database <\/span>but <\/span>also <\/span>assume <\/span>control <\/span>of <\/span>its <\/span>health <\/span>and <\/span>business <\/span>service <\/span>divisions, <\/span>offering <\/span>continued <\/span>employment <\/span>to <\/span>staff <\/span>within <\/span>those <\/span>units. <\/span>One <\/span>exception <\/span>is <\/span>Lemonaid <\/span>Health, <\/span>23andMe\u2019s <\/span>telehealth <\/span>subsidiary, <\/span>which <\/span>will <\/span>not <\/span>be <\/span>included <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>deal <\/span>and <\/span>is <\/span>set <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>wound <\/span>down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regeneron <\/span>plans <\/span>to <\/span>share <\/span>more <\/span>details <\/span>about <\/span>its <\/span>use <\/span>of <\/span>customer <\/span>data <\/span>once <\/span>the <\/span>acquisition <\/span>is <\/span>finalized. <\/span>The <\/span>company <\/span>has <\/span>already <\/span>analyzed <\/span>the <\/span>genetic <\/span>information <\/span>of <\/span>nearly <\/span>3 <\/span>million <\/span>consenting <\/span>individuals <\/span>through <\/span>its <\/span>Regeneron <\/span>Genetics <\/span>Center, <\/span>an <\/span>initiative to <\/span>accelerate <\/span>medical <\/span>research. \u201c<\/span>The <\/span>subsidiary <\/span>has <\/span>a <\/span>proven <\/span>track <\/span>record <\/span>of <\/span>safeguarding <\/span>personal <\/span>genetic <\/span>data, <\/span>and <\/span>we <\/span>assure <\/span>23andMe <\/span>customers <\/span>that <\/span>we <\/span>will <\/span>apply <\/span>our <\/span>high <\/span>standards <\/span>for <\/span>safety <\/span>and <\/span>integrity <\/span>to <\/span>their <\/span>data <\/span>and <\/span>ongoing <\/span>consumer <\/span>genetic <\/span>services,\u201d <\/span>said <\/span>George <\/span>Yancopoulos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regeneron <\/span>has <\/span>stated <\/span>that <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>honor <\/span>23andMe\u2019s <\/span>existing <\/span>privacy <\/span>policies. <\/span>In <\/span>addition, <\/span>its <\/span>data <\/span>security <\/span>and <\/span>privacy <\/span>practices <\/span>will <\/span>undergo <\/span>review <\/span>by <\/span>a <\/span>court-<\/span>appointed <\/span>ombudsman <\/span>and <\/span>other <\/span>stakeholders, <\/span>with <\/span>findings <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>presented <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>bankruptcy <\/span>court <\/span>in <\/span>June.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of <\/span>the <\/span>roughly <\/span>15 <\/span>million <\/span>people <\/span>who <\/span>submitted <\/span>genetic <\/span>data <\/span>to <\/span>23andMe, <\/span>approximately <\/span>84 <\/span>percent <\/span><\/a>consented <\/span>to <\/span>having <\/span>their <\/span>information <\/span>used <\/span>for <\/span>research, <\/span>according <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>company. <\/span>However, <\/span>those <\/span>permissions <\/span>can <\/span>be <\/span>revoked <\/span>or <\/span>updated <\/span>at <\/span>any <\/span>time <\/span>by <\/span>customers. <\/span>Following <\/span>public <\/span>warnings <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>attorneys <\/span>general <\/span>of <\/span>California <\/span>and <\/span>New <\/span>York <\/span>encouraging <\/span>users <\/span>to <\/span>delete <\/span>their <\/span>data, <\/span>some <\/span>have <\/span>likely <\/span>already <\/span>taken <\/span>steps <\/span>to <\/span>erase <\/span>their <\/span>genetic <\/span>information <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe share 23andMe\u2019s founding vision of the power of genetics and data and the health benefits to individuals and society in understanding the human genome,\u201d said Aris Baras<\/a>, head of the Regeneron Genetics Center, in a statement. \u201cWe believe we are uniquely suited to be responsible and effective stewards of 23andMe\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"23andMe<\/p><\/div>\n