Another Player Joins the Fray

Is there room for another personal genomics company? That's the question Daniel MacArthur asks on the news that Australia-based Lumigenix recently launched and will offer its genetic test for $470, slightly more than competitor 23andMe. The biggest obstacles, he writes, are its second-to-market status and the anti-genetic testing climate in Australia. While some experts are optimistic that in the future consumer choice will be favored, MacArthur thinks it's a wait-and-see game. "It remains to be seen whether this venture will succeed in the face of rigorous competition, over-zealous regulation, and an economic slowdown that will likely seriously punish sales of 'luxury' goods like genome scans -- but I'd say the odds aren't good."