23andMe ou comment (très bien) valoriser ses clients

Chroniques génomiques

23andMe: how to make (a lot of) money out of your customers

UMR 7268 ADÉS, Aix-Marseille, Université/EFS/CNRS,Espace éthique méditerranéen, hôpital d’adultes la Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France CoReBio PACA, case 901, parc scientifique de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France

^* bertrand.jordan@univ-amu.fr
^** brjordan@orange.fr

Abstract

The announcement of several deals between the DTC genetics firm 23andMe and Genentech, Pfizer and other corporations reveals the real business model of the company: selling access to sets of characterized patients for targeted drug development. This may be a useful strategy, but it raises a number of questions concerning the privacy of the company’s customers and also of adequate compensation when they become valuable currency.