Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Who is making money from your DNA?
Data monopoly doesn’t seem to be limited only
to GAFA, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple, or BAT, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent,
at least for now. There are companies that are collecting and sharing DNA data
from their customers who provide their DNA samples for diagnoses. Such diagnosis
service providers not only make money by selling DNA analysis to their customers
but also by sharing the data with or selling them to pharmaceutical companies like
GSK, who try to develop more effective medicine or treatment faster at less
cost.
That sounds like a decent business model
because it could reduce the cost for both diagnosis and medicine. However, are
those customers well aware of the fact that their DNA samples are used for
other purposes by third parties? Also, are the data gathered by such method valid
to develop medicine for anyone because the availability and affordability of such
DNA diagnosis services are still limited to affluent, educated people who live in
a small number of developed countries.
As the era of medical big data is on the horizon,
it is a question of who should obtain, retain, and benefit from DNA sample data.
Should it be private enterprises or public services?
Enjoy reading and learn what DNA samples
could do to businesses and medical services.
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190301-how-screening-companies-are-monetising-your-dna
No comments:
Post a Comment