Want
to find out what diseases await you in the future, your chances of developing
Alzheimer's? Or whether you will pass something on to your child? Then a trip
to the pharmacy may reveal all.
Biotech
firm Pathway Genomics announced on Tuesday that personalized DNA tests to
detect the risks of developing certain disease will soon be available at
Walgreen's, a large chain of pharmacies.
It
would be the first time that such tests would be commercially available for
consumers, even though the company has offered them online for some time.
The
Pathway Genomics kit, dubbed the "Insight Saliva Collection", enables
the user to take saliva swabs following simple instructions and send them off
to a California laboratory for analysis.
Costing
between $20 to $30, the kit will be on sale at some 7,500 branches of
Walgreen's from the weekend.
After
sending off the swab, the customer has to log onto the Pathway Genomics site
and create a personal account to order the tests they are interested in, out of
three proposed sets costing up to $ 249. By analyzing the client's DNA, the
company can test for markers which could indicate whether the person is at risk
for about 70 diseases, including breast or prostate cancer, heart disease,
diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
They
can also test for responses to drugs such s anti-cholesterol medication, the
anti-coagulant warfare or tamoxifen used to battle breast cancer.
Couples
can also spend $ 179 if they wish to know whether they risk passing on
hereditary disease such as cystic fibrosis to their future children.
"Every one has the right to know the secrets hidden within their own
DNA," the company says on its website. "With personal DNA testing,
you can take preventative steps to improve your future, and even extend your
life".
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