23andMe Announces First Patent

May 29, 2012

May 29, 2012 | 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki has announced the company's first patent, expected today: “Polymorphisms Related to Parkinson’s Disease.” The patent relates to the company's discovery of a variant in the SGK1 gene that may be protective against individuals at high risk of Parkinson's thanks to the rare LRRK2 G2019S mutation. The patent does not change 23andMe's commitment to open access to one's own genetic data, Wojcicki stresses in the 23andMe blog post, but says the company will "continue to pursue patents that we believe will eventually benefit us all." The Spittoon