California Challenges Genetic Testing Firms' Claims

The state had been investigating consumer complaints for a while. GenomeWeb News notes that California is following a similar action by New York, Steve Murphy at Gene Sherpas has an acerbic take on the situation which he followed up with a detailed and reasoned post. I went to the websites of both 23andMe and Navigenics, two companies that have reportedly received letters, and couldn't find anything that tells Californian consumers that they cannot use their services without a doctor's prescription.

clipped from www.latimes.com SAN FRANCISCO -- California health regulators have dealt a blow to direct-to-consumer genetic testing start-ups by demanding that 13 companies halt sales in the state until they prove they have met quality and reliability standards. The Department of Public Health sent the cease-and-desist letters last week, after an investigation spurred by consumer complaints about the tests' accuracy and costs, a department spokeswoman said Monday. The department said it would not identify the companies involved until it confirmed they had received the letters. It said they all advertised on the Internet. Two of the best-known companies to offer consumer genetic tests, Navigenics Inc. and 23andMe Inc., both confirmed receiving the letters.