DNA sequencing startup Sure Genomics wants to help you learn about your entire genome at the click of a button. Today, the startup opened up an at-home service to the public, enabling consumers to get their full DNA sequence with a single saliva test.
Some of the bigger companies in the personal genome space like Knome and Illumina’s Every Genome offer an all-encompassing service for tens of thousands of dollars. 23andMe, which helped pave the way for the direct-to-consumer DNA model, offers a smattering of genetic information to consumers for $199, but not the whole she-bang.
Veritas announced it had reduced the cost of full genome sequencing to $1,000 last fall and there are now several companies who now do this type of test, but so far that information has stayed within the confines of research facilities.
Sure Genomics processes the full genome in a CLIA-certified lab and offers reports meeting FDA standards. The process is similar to 23andMe or AncestryDNA – you sign up, receive a kit, spit in a tube and wait a few weeks. The difference is Sure Genomics promises full DNA analysis from more than 70,000 biomarkers and will update and add upon information every six weeks as new information becomes available – and all of that for a cool $2,500.
While that’s a much heftier price than the other consumer models, it does promise to deliver a lot more information. The platform will also store family medical history, personal health information, and ancestry to reveal a comprehensive genetic picture.
Sure Genomics says initial reports will be made available with physician oversight, including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which indicate an increased risk of female breast and ovarian cancers. It also plans to release additional reports as soon as those reports meet the required FDA regulatory standards.
Full genome sequencing could fundamentally change the way we handle medicine, help us make important life decisions and give us the kind of insights important in shaping the way we live in the future. We’re also starting to see higher demand among consumers to handle their own medical information and this is an important part of that process.
While other genetics companies have run into issues in delivering full genetic information directly (23andMe is only able to deliver 63 reports at this time) Sure Genomics hopes to push forward in bringing that information to consumers. We shall see if they are able to make good on that promise.