Pharmaceutical Company Announces It’s Buying 23andMe

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was the winning bidder in a bankruptcy auction.

The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals company logo on a building at the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, N.Y. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on May 19 that it is buying the bankrupt 23andMe company, which has collected an enormous amount of genetic data.

Regeneron said in a statement that it is purchasing specifically 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service, which has collected the DNA from millions, for a price, as well as other assets. Regeneron won a bankruptcy auction with a $256 million bid.

“We have deep experience with large-scale data management, having worked with collaborators around the world to link deidentified DNA sequences from nearly three million consented participants to electronic health records, safely and securely enabling future medical advances,” Dr. George D. Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron, and one of its co-founders, said in a statement.

“We believe we can help 23andMe deliver and build upon its mission to help those interested in learning about their own DNA and how to improve their personal health, while furthering Regeneron’s efforts to use large-scale genetics research to improve the way society treats and prevents illness overall.”

23andMe, which is based in South San Francisco, California, collects DNA from customers to help them find ancestors and learn more about their health. The company announced in March that it had filed for bankruptcy as part of the process of finding a buyer.

Attorneys general from multiple states said that month that people who used 23andMe should remove their data.

California residents should consider “directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at the time.

People who want to take that step can log into their account, go to settings, click 23andMe data, click view, and scroll until they see a section that says delete data. 23andMe sends a confirmation email once a user clicks, then permanently deletes the data.

23andMe has said that it would continue normal business while the sale process, which included the auction, took place.

Regeneron, which is based in New York, said on May 19 that 23andMe will continue its genome services without interruption.

Regeneron also said that it intends to comply with laws governing the use of customer data.

“As a world leader in human genetics, Regeneron Genetics Center is committed to and has a proven track record of safeguarding the genetic data of people across the globe, and, with their consent, using this data to pursue discoveries that benefit science and society,” Dr. Aris Baras, Regeneron’s senior vice president, said in a statement. “We assure 23andMe customers that we are committed to protecting the 23andMe dataset with our high standards of data privacy, security and ethical oversight and will advance its full potential to improve human health.”