Even after facing financial troubles, 23andMe had a large amount of personal genetic data from millions of people when it announced that Regeneron would buy it earlier this year. However, the deal didn’t happen because of concerns about sharing customers’ genetic information without their permission. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia sued to block this sale. 23andMe had long planned to share its large genetic database with drug companies. But another company, Sequencing.com, works differently. Dr. Brandon Colby, the founder and CEO of Sequencing.com, explains, ‘When a drug company is your customer, you’re mainly trying to get people’s DNA to build a database.’ Dr. Colby wanted to take a different approach when he started Sequencing.com in 2017. His company is the only one that follows strict privacy rules (HIPAA and US-EU-Swiss Privacy Shield) for personal genetic analysis. It also gives people more detailed information about their DNA. ‘We are different from typical home DNA testing companies,’ he said. ‘We look at a person’s entire genome, which means we examine every single gene.’ Whole genome sequencing checks nearly all of a person’s DNA, unlike companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, which only check parts of it. ‘You only need to sequence your genome once,’ Dr. Colby said. ‘After that, it’s about analyzing and understanding that information throughout your life, instead of needing more genetic tests.’ While this work focuses on consumers, DNA tests can also impact drug companies and research. For example, some nonprofits are collecting data from groups that have been left out of genetic studies, which could help make research more diverse. Drug companies have also shown interest in genetic databases, like 23andMe’s partnership with GSK in 2018 and Regeneron’s recent interest. Sequencing.com mainly helps people looking for the cause of an unknown illness or those interested in preventing health problems. The same data can also predict how people react to certain medications. For example, Sequencing.com checks 3,839 genetic variations of the RYR1 gene to detect potential bad reactions to anesthesia. Dr. Colby believes the FDA will soon require genetic testing for most clinical trials. ‘Some medications already have warnings that say a person needs a genetic test before they’re prescribed,’ he said. ‘Genetic testing can predict if a person will have a severe reaction or even die from a medication.’ Although working with drug companies isn’t Sequencing.com’s main goal, Dr. Colby thinks there could be value in partnering with researchers. Customers could choose to join specific studies and get benefits for participating. ‘The customer is never automatically signed up,’ he said. Dr. Colby plans to announce a deal with a research partner in January. However, he also recognizes the risks and controversies in this field. Some companies offer genetics-based embryo selection, claiming to help parents choose their baby’s traits. But many of these claims aren’t scientifically proven. Researchers have called this trend ‘alarming.’ Meanwhile, 23andMe is still dealing with controversy. After the Regeneron sale fell through, Anne Wojcicki’s nonprofit TTAM Research Institute bought 23andMe’s assets for $305 million. They promised to give customers more control over their data, including the choice to join research studies. 23andMe also said it will keep offering personalized DNA testing and research services as part of TTAM.