23andMe had all the signs of a success story. The Lisa Ann - Sexual Intrigue (2008)unicorn brand became synonymous with consumer-facing genetic testing, went public, and was once valued at $6 billion.
But then, it all came tumbling down. Sales for 23AndMe kits began to fall, attempts to raise new funds hit a wall, the company struggled to find a product that would bring in recurring revenue, and it was still dealing with the fallout from a major data breach.
23andMe filed for bankruptcyand put its assets up for salein March 2025. But, more concerning than the success or failure of a particular company, was this question: What would happen to 23andMe's vast trove of highly personal customer data? We aren't just talking about usernames and birthdays. 23andMe has DNA profilesfor millions of users.
Well, now we know who bought 23andMe and, most importantly, now owns all the DNA data from the company's customers.
On Monday, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announcedthat it would acquire most of 23andMe's assets for $256 million. According to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the acquisition includes 23andMe's Personal Genome Service, Total Health and Research Services business lines, and the trove of customers' DNA samples and genetic data.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will not, however, be acquiring 23andMe's online doctor and telehealth service known as Lemonaid Health, which will be shuttered.
Based in Tarrytown, NY, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that researches and develops medicines for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases. The company is currently valued at more than $64 billion.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals placed a bid for 23andMe as part of a court-supervised sales process. The bid requires Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to comply with the company's existing privacy policies and applicable laws.
Conspiracy-minded consumers might revolt at the idea of a big pharma brand acquiring their DNA profile. However, in a press release, Regeneron has promised "to comply with the Company’s privacy policies" and "process all customer personal data in accordance with the consents, privacy policies and statements, terms of service, and notices currently in effect." Further, the company assured customers it has "a proven track record of safeguarding personal genetic data, and we assure 23andMe customers that we will apply our high standards for safety and integrity to their data." A court-appointed expert will also submit a report about potential privacy and security impacts to the court by June 10.
If the name "Regeneron" sounds familiar, it may be because the company received mainstream attention in 2020 after the company created an experimental treatment for COVID-19 called REGN-COV2. President Donald Trump was treated with the drug when he was infected with COVID-19 in October of that year.
While 23andMe's demise is certainly notable, a most lasting debate will undoubtedly be had regarding the sale of 15 million customers' genetic data.
“Your DNA and your family health history should not be a corporate asset," said J.B. Branch, Big Tech accountability advocate for the consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen, in a statement. "Of course, Regeneron will promise to ‘respect consent’ and ‘uphold privacy policies.’ Those are bare minimal legal requirements. But time and again these companies fail consumers."
Topics Cybersecurity Politics
We'll always, er, sorta, have the Paris Climate Agreement
Audible sitewide sale: save up to 85% on all titles
Subscribe Now to Get a Digital Discount! by Sadie Stein
A Doyle Man by Michael Dirda
Touring Logitech's Audio HQ
Fashion Week, 1947 by Rosamond Bernier
Stephen Marche and Arthur Phillips on Shakespeare by The Paris Review
Staff Picks: The Unseen Bestiary, The Avoidance of Love by The Paris Review
Best LG B4 OLED TV deal: Save $200 at Best Buy
Staff Picks: ‘DOC,’ ‘Luminous Airplanes’ by The Paris Review
Watch Chappell Roan's Grammy acceptance speech demanding healthcare for artists
A Doyle Man by Michael Dirda
It’s About to Get Really Girly by The Paris Review
A Doyle Man by Michael Dirda
The Best CPU & GPU Purchases of 2017
Document: T. S. Eliot to Virginia Woolf by T.S. Eliot
California Girls by Zan Romanoff
Cathy Park Hong on 'Engine Empire' by Robyn Creswell
Best iPad deal: Save $70 on 10th Gen Apple iPad
The Secret Bookstore by Thessaly La Force
'Gears of War' movie rights optioned by Universal, but will it ever happen?The saga of Twitter's potential acquisition, explained via its yearFlorida resident Vanilla Ice plans to ride out very dangerous Hurricane MatthewOculus: 1 million people use VR every month'Gears of War' movie rights optioned by Universal, but will it ever happen?Airbnb hosts offer homes for $0 as Hurricane Matthew approachesBackstage at the Streamys: Everything you didn't see during the awards showThe saga of Twitter's potential acquisition, explained via its yearWoman's selfDad of the year builds his daughter her own 'American Ninja Warrior' courseOculus: 1 million people use VR every monthDog refuses to part from beloved doughnut pillowDJ goes on epic rant at noiseOne man was charged $40 to hold his newborn babyOculus party rooms let you hang out with your friends' avatarsTall teenager hands out business cards to people who ask about his heightHurricane Matthew could render areas 'uninhabitable for weeks'Backstage at the Streamys: Everything you didn't see during the awards showWatch hyperNFL to fine teams up to $100,000 for posting social media video during games Poetry Rx: Your Absence Has Gone through Me by Claire Schwartz Cooking with Colette by Valerie Stivers How I Began to Write by Gabriel García Márquez Redux: Eerie Fictions of the Afternoon by The Paris Review Redux: Desire Is Curled by The Paris Review Cooking with Anzia Yezierska by Valerie Stivers Ana Mendieta, Emotional Artist by Emily LaBarge The Genius of Terry Southern by David L. Ulin At Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Hundredth Birthday Party by Nina Sparling Whiting Awards 2019: Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Poetry Whiting Awards 2019: Terese Marie Mailhot, Nonfiction T. S. Eliot’s “The Cultivation of Christmas Trees” by Casey N. Cep Redux: Lovers Surprised by Love by The Paris Review Poetry Rx: Suddenly Something Snaps by Kaveh Akbar A Tortoise Stakeout with Patricia Lockwood by Richard Cooke Revisited: ‘Guernica’ Flowers for Yellow Chins, Bruised Eyes, Forsaken Nymphs, and Impending Death by Katy Kelleher Whiting Awards 2019: Nadia Owusu Staff Picks: Moscow, Misunderstandings, and Money Mark by The Paris Review James Tate’s Last, Last Poems by Matthew Zapruder
2.0399s , 10137.203125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Lisa Ann - Sexual Intrigue (2008)】,Fresh Information Network