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Anne Wojcicki’s Nonprofit Agrees to Acquire 23andMe for $305 Million

The agreement must clear bankruptcy court scrutiny following objections from 28 state attorneys general over genetic data privacy

This illustration picture shows a saliva collection kit for DNA testing displayed in Washington DC on December 19, 2018. - Between 2015 and 2018, sales of DNA test kits boomed in the United States and allowed websites to build a critical mass of DNA profiles. The four DNA websites that offer match services -- Ancestry, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, My Heritage -- today have so many users that it is rare for someone not to find at least one distant relative.
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Overview

  • The deal values 23andMe’s assets at $305 million, topping Regeneron’s earlier $256 million bid
  • The acquisition encompasses the company’s personal genome service, research operations and telehealth program
  • TTAM Research Institute will honor existing privacy policies, notify customers before closing and form a Consumer Privacy Advisory Board within 90 days
  • A coalition of 28 state attorneys general led by New York’s Letitia James has sued to block the transaction, arguing users did not consent to the transfer of their genetic information
  • Since the March bankruptcy filing, about 15% of customers have asked to delete their genetic data over privacy concerns, and a court-appointed privacy ombudsman has questioned whether existing policies allow the sale