Biotech company 23andMe offers rapid and relatively inexpensive personal genetic testing, allowing individuals to send in saliva samples and get back data and reports on various genetic health risks, drug responses and disease carrier statuses, as well as genealogical information.
The company ships its testing kits to customers and provides instructions for sample collection and return. Although its tests consist of little more than a saliva collection tube and a bag in which to send the sample back to Mountain View, CA 23andMe is currently unable to serve two states—New York and Maryland—because of legal restrictions.
And things can get complicated internationally. Whether or not 23andMe ships to a particular country depends on a range of factors, from transportation ease to local laws about medical sample exports.
Read the full, original story here: Obstacles to Personal Genetic Testing in the U.S. and Abroad
Additional Resources:
- “NY and MD limits on 23andMe,” Legal Genealogist
- “Personal Genetics Company Seeks Regulatory Approval,” MIT Technology Review
