I think this post says it all about show trial and tabloid character of the 'investigation' into direct to consumer genetic testing. The attack was beside the point and failed to address substantive policy questions such as: how should FDA regulate genetic testing?
I have my doubts about the clinical value of such tests absent the involvement of a physician. And to be sure knowing whether or not you have the risk of such an illness is not as important as knowing just how much of a risk it is. Still, if people voluntarily submit their DNA to a company for testing and use that information in a voluntary fashion (as people did at Scripps) such behavior can be monitored and evaluated to see if it causes "panic" as some less than thoughtful members of Congress claimed DTC genetic testing would. (Trial lawyers, here's your cue..) And the FDA might be interested in the clinical validity of tests and the claims companies are making about what they predict. But these are serious questions that neither Congress nor the GAO cared to address. Rather, they wanted to engage in 'gotcha' gutter politics. They succeeded. I hope they showered after it was done.
