23andMe and Palomar Pomerado Health Partner to Give PPH Members Access to Their Genetic Information

April 27, 2009

San Diego Healthcare District Offers 23andMe Personal Genome Service™ at Health Centers to Encourage Preventive Care

Mountain View, Calif. – April 27, 2009 – 23andMe, Inc., an industry leader in personal genetics, and Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH), the largest public health district in California, today announced that PPH will be offering the 23andMe Personal Genome Service for sale to San Diegans at its outpatient health centers. As an innovator in preventive health care, PPH encourages its communities to understand their genetic information in order to make more informed decisions about their health. This partnership marks the first time that a healthcare organization has provided the Personal Genome Service to members of its community, and the first time that 23andMe has made the service available for purchase outside of its website. Starting today, PPH will be offering the Personal Genome Service for $399 at two of its expresscare retail health centers in Escondido and Rancho Penasquitos, as well as the Pomerado Outpatient Pavilion (POP) in Poway. PPH patients who purchase the service at those locations also will receive a live, 30-minute Personal Education Session with a PPH nurse practitioner who can help answer questions they may have about the process and provide a tour of the Personal Genome Service. The 23andMe Personal Genome Service provides information about how markers in a person’s genome affects his or her propensity for over 100 health conditions and inherited traits, including prostate cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, venous thromboembolism, and cystic fibrosis. The service also provides users with information about their ancestry, allows them to compare their genome to those of family and friends who are also 23andMe participants, and contribute to the advancement of genetic research by participating in 23andMe research studies. PPH has taken an active role in promoting preventive health care. Because genetics is a major factor in the development of health conditions and diseases, PPH believes that individualized genetic information can help members make more educated lifestyle and healthcare decisions, as well as helping physicians better understand their patients’ health. Dr. Jerry Kolins, MD, FACHE, Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer and Medical Director for PPH Laboratories, said, “PPH is in the business of helping our members lead healthier lives. Because genetics significantly impacts a person’s risk for developing certain diseases, having access to genetic information can be useful for both patients and physicians in helping to prevent health problems down the road.” 23andMe believes that providing genetic information to patients through partnerships such as this will facilitate the future integration of genetic information into medical practice. 23andMe co-founder Linda Avey said, “As more genetic discoveries are made and the clinical impact of these correlations is more fully understood, physicians and patients will be better equipped to incorporate genetic information into health care and lifestyle decisions. PPH recognizes that providing their patients with their genetic information now is the first step on this path to more personalized health care and prevention.”
About Palomar Pomerado Health
Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH), California’s largest public health district, is North County’s most comprehensive health-care delivery system, nationally recognized for clinical excellence in cardiac care, women’s services, cancer, orthopedics, trauma, rehabilitation and behavioral health services. As the largest employer in Inland North County, with more than 3,600 employees and 700 physicians, PPH was named San Diego County’s Best Place to Work in 2006. Facilities include Palomar Medical Center, Pomerado Hospital, Villa Pomerado, Palomar Continuing Care Center, the Jean McLaughlin Women’s Center, and PPH expresscarehealth centers. For more information please visit: http://www.pph.org/23andMe.
For more information contact:
Andy Hoang
Manager, Communications & Media Relations
Palomar Pomerado Health
858.675.5018 (o)
619.861.5811 (m)
[email protected]

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, is a leading consumer genetics and research company. Founded in 2006, the company’s mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. 23andMe has pioneered direct access to genetic information as the only company with multiple FDA clearances for genetic health reports. The company has created the world’s largest crowdsourced platform for genetic research, with 80% of its customers electing to participate. The 23andMe research platform has generated more than 180 publications on the genetic underpinnings of a wide range of diseases. The platform also powers the 23andMe Therapeutics group, currently pursuing drug discovery programs rooted in human genetics across a spectrum of disease areas, including oncology, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to other therapeutic areas. More information is available at www.23andMe.com.