DNA Fire Sale, PBM Reform Misses The Mark, Community Based Primary Care

Hey all,

Happy Tuesday! Today’s news about 23andMe being acquired by Regeneron is a good reminder: data gets monetized.

My takeaway? Unless a contract or the law explicitly says otherwise, my data’s probably for sale. And even then, that doesn’t mean it won’t be—just that I’d have legal standing to sue.

Enjoy the rundown! 

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(Fierce Biotech) Regeneron's $256M Acquisition of 23andMe

 Regeneron has secured a $256 million winning bid to acquire nearly all assets of bankrupt genetic testing firm 23andMe, surpassing a competing offer from the company’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki. The biotech giant plans to integrate 23andMe’s massive DNA database and R&D capabilities into its drug discovery operations, while continuing consumer genetic services and promising stringent privacy safeguards amid public scrutiny. Details on consumer protections over their DNA data, however, were not included in the acquisition—those must’ve been recessive traits. Full Article

(Pink Sheet) PBM Reform Hunting The Wrong Targets

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have shifted from rebate-driven profits to opaque manufacturer fees, undermining the impact of proposed legislative reforms and leaving health plan sponsors hesitant to advocate for changes that might reduce their premium-lowering rebate streams. Despite growing scrutiny, PBMs’ evolving business models shield them from regulation while shifting more responsibility onto plan sponsors to help patients with out-of-pocket costs at the point of sale. PBMs are basically playing 4D chess while regulators are still arguing over how to set up the checkers board. Full Article

(HEALTH CARE un-covered) Community-Based Primary Care as the Foundation for Universal Health Care

Community-based primary care is a proven, cost-effective starting point for fixing America’s health care system, with strong evidence that it delivers high returns while improving access and outcomes. This article highlights local success stories in Alaska, Florida, and Ohio, where redesigned care models lowered costs, boosted health, and reinvested savings into education and community development. These examples show that real reform can begin at the community level—without waiting for federal action. Who could’ve guessed that underpaying doctors, burying them in paperwork, and rewarding volume over value would drive them away—while models that treat providers like humans and patients like people actually work better? Full Article