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23andMe can now do more than just tell you where your ancestors are from; they can send you GLP-1s.
The genetic testing company said on August 8 that it plans to launch a GLP-1 telehealth membership via its Lemonaid Health platform at the end of the month. Members will be able to receive prescriptions for brand-name or compounded semaglutide medicines, Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s co-founder and CEO, said during the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call.
“The addition of weight loss management for our customers fits directly within our strategy of delivering services to improve an individual’s health through preventive actions,” Wojcicki said.
23andMe bought telehealth platform Lemonaid Health for $400 million in 2021; it offers preventive services including primary care and lab testing. At the time, Wojcicki said Lemonaid would help the company provide “truly personalized healthcare, starting with genetics as the foundation.”
In addition to the membership, 23andMe plans to conduct a study using its trove of consumer data to uncover the genetic mechanisms that make GLP-1 drugs effective, while also digging into potential side effects.
The bigger picture. The strategy pivot to move away from being solely a genetic testing company and get into the multibillion-dollar weight loss industry comes as 23andMe reported $40 million in revenue for the quarter, down 34% from the same period last year.
Joe Selsavage, the company’s chief financial and accounting officer, said on the earnings call that the drop can be attributed to the end of an exclusive partnership with British drugmaker GSK, as well as lower consumer revenue from 23andMe’s genetic testing kits and telehealth businesses.
23andMe’s stock has also struggled, and the company received a delisting notice from the Nasdaq in November 2023 because its stock traded for less than $1 per share. It has until this November to meet Nasdaq’s standards or face delisting.
The company also announced in an August 5 SEC filing that it’s shutting down its therapeutics discovery group, part of its therapeutics business, and subsequently terminated 30 employees.