23andMe Update: No Health Reports for New Customers

The day after my Blog Posting of 4 December 2013 offering some advice of measures to take following FDA's 15-day "cease and desist" letter, 23andMe provided an update on their blog (5 December 2013) and sent a letter via e-mail to 23andMe customers (I received mine on 6 December 2013) outlining the steps they are taking. Copies of these are provided near the end of this posting.

Some key points from these (my comments in italics):

• 23andMe indicated they will be making some significant changes to their website.
  Some changes have already been made, with a new introductory page when first accessing 23andMe, indicating that they have suspended health-related genetic tests to comply with FDA's directive (see opposite).
• Customers who purchased kits before FDA's letter of November 22, 2013 (even if they haven't yet sent in their kits) will have access to all their reports (health, ancestry, etc.).
• For kits purchased after November 22, customers will have access to ancestry-related genetic information and their raw data, but not the health information – these customers will have the option for a full refund.

New Introductory Page (on my first access to www.23andme.com on 6 Dec 2013)

Since it has not been specified in these notifications from 23andMe that FDA will find these measures acceptable, I think it is still prudent to download everything you may want access to (both raw DNA data files, as well as print-outs of the results) and follow other steps that I outlined in URGENT ADVICE. 23andMe is obviously now really scrambling, after apparently not responding to FDA's previous requests (apparently after extensive discussions and meetings over the past months or even years), which customers were not aware of. Those of us interested in the ancestry/genealogy tests are breathing a sigh of relief in the short-term and are hoping that 23andMe works everything out with the FDA as soon as possible.

23andMe Blog Posting 5 Dec 2013

Letter from 23andMe's CEO E-mailed 6 Dec 2013

What's New on GenealogyJunkie.net?

• My Blog Posting (dated 5 December 2013) on Urgent Advice re. FDA's 15-Day Letter to 23andMe, and associated Webpage with the same title. 
• I'm still  encouraging everyone to order DNA tests during Family Tree DNA's Great Sale, which is on until 31 Dec 2013. Now is a wonderful time to order a test or upgrade testing – or maybe this could be a holiday gift idea. The tests just need to be ordered by the deadline – they can be mailed in whenever you like.

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