Technology Review's Editors Blog has a post that tells how genome test kits will be available this month at your local drugstore. For a few years now there have been a few companies that offer direct-to-consumer gene testing over the internet: 23 and me, Navigenics, and DeCodeMe .
Now genomic testing is going mainstream, as a company called Pathway Genomics will begin selling DNA testing kits at Walgreens drugstores this month.
Users of the kits will have to send in their saliva sample and then go to Pathway's website to select the particular test they want. Users choose from drug response ($79), which assesses how well an individual can metabolize certain drugs, predicting the best dosage for that person or whether they will be susceptible to certain side effects; pre-pregnancy planning ($179), which determines whether parents carry mutations for serious genetic diseases; health conditions ($179), which assesses risk for a number of conditions, including diabetes, Alzheimer's, prostate cancer and more; or a combination of all three ($249). The kits won't be sold in New York because the state's laws require medical professionals to be involved in this type of testing.
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