23andMe explores $749 'premium' service

Julie Spitzer -

23andMe is reportedly looking to offer a new, more expensive premium service for users who want more information about their health, CNBC reports.

A spokesperson for the direct-to-consumer DNA testing company told CNBC it is gauging users' interest in the potential new service that would provider deeper genomic sequencing. However, 23andMe does not have immediate plans for the new product.

Currently, 23andMe's tests, which use a type of analysis called genotyping to identify places in DNA with the most valuable data, cost between $99 and $199. Customers submit their DNA — by spitting in a tube they mail to the company — and receive information about their ancestry as well as their risks for developing certain health conditions.

Some customers have recently received notifications about the new service, which would be priced at $749. Those customers said nothing happened when they clicked on a link for the offering.

If 23andMe were to venture into this new territory, its main competitor would be Veritas Genetics, which markets a whole genome sequencing test starting at $1,000, CNBC reports.

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