23andMe — the Google-backed startup that scans your genome for disease-risk factors and other information, now lets anyone see how the service works without first charging $999 for the privilege. My first impression: It packs a tremendous amount of information into clean, uncluttered pages that are still relatively easy to understand even for newcomers to genetics.
The 23andMe service stands in particularly sharp contrast to a similar offering from deCODEme, which I reviewed unfavorably here and here. We take a closer look in this post over at VentureBeat Life Sciences.
Tags: co:23andme, personal-genomics2 Comments
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Benoit said:
Do you know if the $999 fee is one-time only or do you need to pay a maintenance fee so they keep updating your account with the latest research information? If 5 years from now new research shows that I’m at risk for some disease, it would be good to know about it without being charged more. A one-time only fee for a lifetime service sounds pretty cheap though they do mention in the terms of service that you have to pay again to get tested again.
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David P. Hamilton said:
My understanding is that it’s a one-time fee that covers updated genetic information (unlike Navigenics, which was planning on charging for regular updates). 23andMe, however, has said that it may charge extra for additional services, without specifying what those are. At a minimum, I’d expect greater SNP coverage and eventual full-genome sequencing to cost more.
