23AndMe to Stop Saying What Your Genetic Test Means

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By Chris Taylor2013-12-06 04:20:59 UTC

The genetics testing company 23andMe announced Thursday night that it won't stop selling its popular "spit kits" — but that it will have to stop providing customers with any kind of analysis on what their genetic data means.

The announcement is the latest twist in an ongoing feud between 23andMe and the Food and Drug Administration. On November 25, the FDA ordered the genetics company to "immediately discontinue marketing" of its $99 saliva collection kits, because the company hadn't addressed various legal and regulatory issues raised by the agency. It also slammed CEO Anne Wojcicki for not communicating with the agency for six months.

See also: Why Mapping Your DNA Could Save Your Life

Wojcicki apologized for being unresponsive, and 23andMe stopped all advertising of the kits. Its troubles didn't end there, though. Two days ago, a San Diego resident filed a $5 million class action lawsuit, claiming the kits were "a thinly disguised way of getting people to pay them to build a DNA database."

The company says the end of genetic interpretation — where it tells users their ancestry and their likelihood of developing genetic diseases — is another step in complying with the FDA. Users who bought kits after November 22 will get "raw genetic data without interpretation." The company did not elaborate on what that looks like, but it did say those customers would be offered a refund.

If you bought your kit before November 22, you're still entitled to your results. And the company struck a defiant note in its press release: "“We remain firmly committed to fulfilling our long-term mission to help people everywhere have access to their own genetic data," Wojcicki said, "and have the ability to use that information to improve their lives.”

Image: Flickr, Acme

Topics: 23andMe, genetics, U.S., US & World