Aggregated News
he College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. is grappling with regulatory and accreditation issues for a private Richmond laboratory company planning to launch the first B.C.-based direct-to-consumer DNA testing service.
The company, GenomeMe, will test saliva samples sent in by individuals seeking personalized reports predicting which diseases and traits they may inherit, cancers they’re susceptible to, and even prescription medications they either shouldn’t take or use in different dosages.
College registrar Dr. Heidi Oetter said GenomeMe may be the first direct-to-consumer (DTC) Canadian company of its kind. She said the College has sought advice from the provincial government for guidance on how to approach the oversight and regulations of such a business.
“The College has had preliminary discussions with the Ministry of Health that this is becoming a current issue,” she said. “There is a need to have further discussions on the role of the College in the regulation and oversight of these programs.”
A high-profile U.S. company called 23andMe also offers such testing to Canadians. The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. stopped 23andMe from...