American biotechnology firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is buying the personal genetics brand 23andMe after submitting a winning bid of $256 million in a bankruptcy auction, according to a Monday company statement.
Regeneron will be acquiring a vast wealth of personal genomic data as part of the purchase. 23andMe‘s proprietary Biobank is by far the largest repository for human genomic data in the world, the company claimed in 2024.
The biobank had stores of genetic data from over 15 million people, over 80 percent of whom consented to have their data used for research purposes as of 2024, according to 23andMe.
“Overall, the combined phenotypic and genetic data available for life sciences research from 23andMe is an order of magnitude larger than any other cohort,” the company claimed.
The 15 million figure likely took a hit when 23andMe filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. Traffic to its website surged over 500 percent on the day of the announcement as users scrambled to delete their data, according to NBC.
But despite step-by-step guides to deletion from state authorities like this one from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, users reported encountering difficulty in deleting their information.
23andMe assured users that any potential purchaser would have to follow the same privacy policies it had in place previously.
“As discussed in Court today, the Company’s existing consumer privacy policies remain in place, and the Company has not changed how it manages or protects customer data through any of the motions that were approved by the Court,” the company said in a March statement.
Those policies were in place when the company suffered a massive targeted data breach, which, according to a class action lawsuit against the company, compiled data from over 7 million users of Ashkenazi Jewish and Chinese descent and sold their information on the dark web. (RELATED: 92 Million People Had Their Online DNA Accounts Leaked Online)
The planned merger is another development in the world of biometric data, an area of focus in public health becoming increasingly more relevant.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled his agency will utilize and compile biometric data on Americans in an effort to solve the nation’s rising autism rates.
He also welcomed a group of business leaders involved in biometrics to Washington, D.C., for a Monday meeting.
Today, @SecKennedy met with leaders at the forefront of health technology—innovators creating wearable devices, AI tools, and personalized apps that empower Americans to take control of their health.
These breakthroughs are key to our mission to Make America Healthy Again—by… pic.twitter.com/LDhnAp7OBk
— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) May 19, 2025
Regeneron is expected to close their purchase of 23andMe by September, according to the statement.