23AndMe Users Rush To Remove Genetic Information After Bankruptcy
Customers concerned about privacy attempted to delete their data but struggled to receive deletion confirmation, The Wall Street Journal reported. In other news: the FDA approves a lab-grown blood vessel; UK drugmaker GSK Plc is studying its shingles vaccine for expanded use as dementia prevention; and more.
The Wall Street Journal:
23andMe Customers Scramble To Delete Data, Seek Assurances After Bankruptcy
An array of 23andMe ME customers rushed to its website Monday, seeking to delete their genetic data from the DNA-testing company after its bankruptcy filing. They faced long wait times or error messages and had to make repeated attempts to receive confirmation that their request had been received. Some sought unsuccessfully to delete the data of a deceased family member, and many expressed uncertainty about whether or how they would receive confirmation that the data had been deleted. (McElhaney, 3/24)
CBS News:
Here's How To Delete Your Personal Data And Genetic Sample From 23andMe
23andMe states that if it's involved in a bankruptcy or sale, customers' personal data may also be sold or transferred. It also provides a relatively straightforward way for customers to delete their data and request that their genetic samples be destroyed. (Cerullo, 3/24)
More pharma and tech news —
The New York Times:
FDA Approved Artificial Blood Vessel Despite Warnings
When the biotech company Humacyte designed a study to see if its lab-grown blood vessel worked, it decided to measure whether blood was flowing freely through the high-tech tube 30 days after it was implanted in a person. As those days passed, some of the 54 patients in the study ran into trouble. Doctors lost track of one. Four died. Four more had a limb amputated, including one who developed a clot and infection in the artificial vessel, Food and Drug Administration records show. (Jewett, 3/24)
Modern Healthcare:
Fujifilm, Us2.Ai Partner To Automate Cardiovascular Ultrasound
Fujifilm Healthcare Americas Corporation said Monday it will integrate Us2.ai's artificial intelligence software into its Lisendo 800 cardiovascular ultrasound. The software automates echocardiogram analysis and reporting by providing cardiac measurements along with diagnostic insights based on international guidelines. (Dubinsky, 3/24)
The Guardian:
Scientists Develop Injection For Long-Lasting Contraceptive Implant
Researchers are developing an injection that creates a contraceptive implant in the body using an approach that could herald a new way of delivering drugs over long periods of time. Current contraceptive implants last for years, meaning women do not have to take a pill every day, but the devices must be fitted by a trained professional via a small surgical procedure. Contraceptive injections are already available but they have limitations, including that they last for only three months. Now scientists say they have completed proof-of-concept experiments for a new type of long-lasting implant that self-assembles in the body. (Davis, 3/24)
Bloomberg:
GSK Researching Whether Shingles Vaccine Reduces Dementia Risk
GSK Plc is studying a large group of elderly adults in the UK to determine if its blockbuster shingles vaccine reduces the risk of dementia, potentially opening the door to an expanded label for the shot. The UK drugmaker will look at the data of 1.4 million people aged 65 to 66 years, some of whom received GSK’s Shingrix shot and some who did not, over a four-year period starting from 2023. (Furlong, 3/25)
Stat:
Cell And Gene Therapies Have Seen Setbacks — But Are Still Promising
The sale of bluebird bio and Pfizer’s decision to drop a gene therapy for hemophilia have led to some anxiety regarding the future of cell and gene therapy (CGT). As the chief executive officer of the nonprofit multistakeholder advocacy organization the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, I hear all the questions: Will the technology meet the promise? Is there a viable commercial model in one-time treatments? Is there a sustainable business that can scale? I remind people that the reality is a bit messy — but a highly familiar tale of breakthroughs and struggles in the bigger arc of biotechnology. (Tim Hunt, 3/25)
