According to a story from pcmag.com, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has recently partnered with 23andMe as part of a four year long agreement that will grant the company exclusive rights to DNA data that results from the company’s tests. So far, over five million people have used the 23andMe service to get DNA tests.
Becoming a Part of Drug Development
People who choose to use the service have traditionally been asked if they would like their data to be harnessed in research studies, but now it look like this will also involve drug development and research as well. Anne Wojcicki, who is the CEO of 23andMe stated in a recent blog post that users can opt out of having their data used whenever they want. The company touts the new agreement as furthering their goal of personalizing and improving the health system and medical treatment.
Why 23andMe Data is Useful
On GSK’s side of things, the company says that the data will primarily use the data for several purposes, including finding participants to be a part of research studies and clinical trials, isolating potential precision drugs based on genetic characteristics, and finding potential groups of patients whose genetic profile may make them more likely to respond to certain medications. Roughly 80 percent of 23andMe’s customer base agreed to submit their data for scientific research. The first project will involve investigating a gene that could play a role in developing a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Problems Ahead?
While the partnership sounds exciting, there are also serious causes for concern. Recent catastrophes with the tedious social media site Facebook have demonstrated what can happen when private companies misuse or fail to protect customer data.
The Center of Medicine in the Public Interest‘s president Peter Pitts raised concerns about privacy in a recent interview and also reminded listeners that the companies were taking advantage of data that customers had already paid for, which is an increase in the value of said data for 23andMe’s bottom line. To compensate its customers for using their data in research is only fair, according to Peter.
While the partnership will hopefully lead to the development of useful medicines, the ultimate goal of these companies is raking in cash as frantically as possible and it is unclear how many of their customers will see any immediate benefits.
