UNITED KINGDOM — 23andMe, a leading US-based genetic-testing company, and GSK have renewed their partnership by securing a non-exclusive data licensing agreement.
Under this agreement, GSK will have one year of access to 23andMe’s extensive consumer DNA data repository, paying a substantial US$20 million.
This extended partnership builds upon their five-year relationship, enabling GSK to delve into genetic data for the advancement of pharmaceutical research.
This venture allows GSK to harness anonymized DNA data from approximately 80% of 23andMe’s gene-testing customers who consented to share their data for research purposes. Moreover, 23andMe will offer data-analysis services to complement GSK’s research efforts.
While 23andMe is renowned for its DNA-testing kits offering ancestry and health insights to customers, its extensive DNA collection holds immense value for scientific research.
With data from over 14 million customers, the sheer scale of 23andMe’s genetic database rivals that of only a few, such as Ancestry.com and the Chinese government.
Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, emphasized the enduring strength of their collaboration with GSK, exemplifying the 23andMe research platform’s consistent generation of innovative insights rooted in human genetics.
Their initial partnership in 2018 focused on identifying disease-relevant genes and novel drug targets, with a particular emphasis on an investigational LRRK2 inhibitor for Parkinson’s disease.
Over the last five years, the collaboration has borne approximately 50 programs, including the launch of a clinical trial for a cancer drug designed to block CD96.
Under the renewed agreement, GSK will gain access to anonymized summary data from a global genome- and phenome-wide analysis of 23andMe’s database, accompanied by research services for data analysis over the ensuing 12 months.
Notably, GSK will now retain full ownership of any drug discovery programs initiated during this period, a departure from their previous joint efforts. 23andMe may become eligible for downstream royalties in specific instances of GSK’s database utilization.
Meanwhile, 23andMe will exercise the royalty option on three programs initiated earlier with GSK, allowing GSK to independently advance them while granting 23andMe certain rights to downstream royalties.
In parallel, 23andMe recently introduced a new DNA-sequencing product aimed at helping customers gain deeper insights into and manage health risks concealed within their genetic makeup.
However, 23andMe also faced security challenges. The company notified several customers about a breach in its “DNA Relatives” feature, which allowed users to compare ancestry information with others globally.
Following a hacker’s claim that they had stolen “pieces of data” from 23andMe, the company initiated an investigation with federal law enforcement and forensic experts.
In response, 23andMe informed customers of a breach, highlighting that unauthorized access had occurred in one or more accounts linked to their “DNA Relatives” feature.
This breach exposed personal data, including relationship labels, ancestry reports, matching DNA segments, location, birth year, and family names, among other details.
Customers have expressed concerns about potential misuse of their sensitive information, particularly regarding their ethnicity.
This incident has prompted a U.S. lawmaker to seek further information about the security breach. In response, 23andMe temporarily disabled features in the “DNA Relatives” to safeguard user privacy.
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