A Google-backed startup that analyses customers’ genetic makeup to predict health risks and provide ancestry information has slashed the price on its personal DNA test, the company announced today.
The decision by 23andMe Inc to cut the price of its test from USD 999 to USD 399 could herald a price war in the small but buzz-heavy marketplace for direct-to-consumer genetic testing. The company’s main competitors charge anywhere from just under USD 1,000 to USD 2,500 for similar services.
According to 23andMe, next-generation DNA analysis chips have made the process of scanning a person’s genes significantly cheaper.