Vermont, New York, New Hampshire sue to stop 23andMe sale
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – More than two dozen states including Vermont, New York and New Hampshire are suing to block the sale of a once popular genetic testing company.
23andMe is in bankruptcy protection. The company is known for its direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, allowing people to obtain information about their ancestry and potential health conditions.
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Bio-tech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals requested the court's approval to buy the firm for $256 million, but the states say DNA samples of about 15 million previous customers are too sensitive to allow the transaction without each person giving their informed consent.
'Genetic information is some of the most sensitive information a company can hold about a person,' said Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark. 'It's incredibly personal and forever unchangeable.
'Vermonters' genetic information shouldn't be up for sale without their consent. I am taking action to make sure that Vermonters have the right to decide what happens with their genetic information.'
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The court has appointed an independent official to examine the proposed sale and its impact on consumer privacy.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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