The end of 23andMe’s dream of drug discovery

23andMe, the genetics startup that repeatedly captured the public’s attention and then faced near-fatal business challenges, announced Monday that it would halt its efforts to develop new drugs and lay off 40% of its workforce, instead focusing on Selling genetic tests to consumers will focus on using the resulting data for research purposes.

By closing its therapeutics division and laying off 200 employees, 23andMe ended a bold bet it made nearly a decade ago – that it could use the genetic data it collected not only to help pharmaceutical companies but also to become one itself .

“We are taking these difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer and research partnerships businesses,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO, co-founder and chairwoman of 23andMe. “I would like to thank our team for their hard work and commitment to our mission. We are fully committed to supporting employees affected by this transition.”