The genetic testing stalemate

In the last weeks I’ve been watching the fight between consumer genetic testing companies and the state of California with interest. Earlier this month, the state's Health Department sent letters to 13 such companies, telling them to “cease and desist” operations unless they can prove, as required by state law, that physicians ordered the test. (Last November, New York state sent similar letters to 31 companies.) This week, the companies, including three biggies, 23andMe, Navigenics, and deCODE, responded, generally disputing that they are in violation of the law.

The term “personalized medicine” is almost meaningless these days, but the genetic testing industry is certainly the first example of us as a society having to deal with the concept – the good and the bad of it – on a large scale. On a regulatory level, we’re clearly not ready for it. But the government and the industry seem to be in a kind of passive-aggressive stalemate over the issue. What will it take to break it?

If you are going to post a blog about this subject, at least you could give more information! Or a link to the news articles that would supply the information. For those of you out there intersted in this issue, here are a couple of online new links about what is going on in California.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/news/2008/06/portfolio_0617
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-fi-tests17-2008jun17,0,2383518.story

How about a little more meat to this blog please?