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Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Commercial genomics

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Apr 2020 Closed: 19 Nov 2021 17 recommendations 1 report

Genomic testing seeks to offer health benefits and can provide other useful services. However, some have raised concerns regarding the potential risks associated with genomic tests being made directly available to consumers, including on the tests’ reliability and accuracy, the support available to consumers for understanding and acting on results, and the impact of these … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Direct-to-consumer genomic testing HC 94 22 Jun 2021 17 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
4 Recommendation First Report - Direct-to-consumer genom… Acknowledged

The results obtained from genomic tests provided directly to consumers cannot be integrated into Genomics...

The results obtained from genomic tests provided directly to consumers cannot be integrated into Genomics England or NHS records since they do not always meet the standards required of the end-to-end testing and data handling process. Enabling tests that are provided directly to consumers to demonstrate that they meet the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the critical importance of genomic test results meeting appropriate standards and notes existing challenges. It has established a Data Working Group under the Genome UK strategy to consider implementing GA4GH standards and will keep the committee's recommendation in mind.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
9 Recommendation First Report - Direct-to-consumer genom… Acknowledged

Building on its review of advertising for non-invasive prenatal testing, the Advertising Standards Authority should...

Building on its review of advertising for non-invasive prenatal testing, the Advertising Standards Authority should review, within the next year, the marketing materials used by companies offering other genomic tests directly to consumers, focusing in particular on the clinical performance implied by the tests compared with their actual performance. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government supports the ASA's existing work and notes that the ASA will continue to consider non-compliance evidence for DTC genomic tests. The government itself will keep the recommendation under review.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
17 Jun 2020 Dr Tara Clancy · Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Graeme Tunbridge · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Professor Sir Mark Caufield · Genomics England, The Lord Bethell · Department for Health and Social Care View ↗

Who gave evidence

4 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Dr Tara Clancy · Council Member Nuffield Council on Bioethics 1
Graeme Tunbridge · Director of Devices Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 1
Professor Sir Mark Caufield · Chief Scientist Genomics England 1
The Lord Bethell · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department for Health and Social Care 1

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
21 May 2020 — Correspondence from • Avi Lasarow, Chief Executive Officer, DNAfit, relating to…
21 May 2020 — Correspondence from • Baroness Blackwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Stat…
21 May 2020 — Correspondence from • Carla Newell, Chief Legal Officer, Ancestry, relating to …
21 May 2020 — Correspondence from Kathy Hibbs, Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, 23andMe, r…