MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- More Data, New Features, Dramatically Lower Cost At US$399

23andMe, Inc., the industry leader in personal genetics, today announced
a substantial reduction in price for its Personal Genome Service(TM),
democratizing personal genetics and expanding the opportunity for more people
to benefit from the genetic revolution. Effective immediately, 23andMe is
offering its service for US$399. 23andMe is able to offer the reduced price
thanks to technological advancements made by the company that provides its
DNA scanning technology, Illumina, Inc. In addition, 23andMe also unveiled
today the expansion of its custom genotyping content along with new social
networking and community features, laying the groundwork for enhanced
customer interaction.

"By taking advantage of continuing innovation we are able to introduce a
new chip that will give people more relevant data at a lower price," said
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe. "We are excited that we are opening
doors for more people to learn about their health and ancestry and for more
people to be able to participate in advancing research. It is important to
democratize personal genetics and make it more accessible."

By offering these new features at a lower price, the company will broaden
the opportunity for people to participate in 23andWe, the research division
of 23andMe. Co-founder Linda Avey explained, "Our social networking platform
enables members of the 23andMe community to connect with each other, find
areas of common interest, and share information about themselves. We're
excited about growing our network more rapidly; making it widely available
fast tracks our research mission."

The price reduction is largely made possible following technological
advancements by Illumina -- a leading provider of genetic analysis
technologies -- to its DNA Analysis Beadchips, which 23andMe uses to genotype
customers. The new Beadchip, called the HumanHap550-Quad+, makes use of a
four-sample format. 23andMe also has added improved custom content to the new
Beadchip, which will include a broader range of Single Nucleotide
Polymorphism (SNP) variations and rare mutations not found on the previous
Beadchip, thereby providing more relevant data on published associations, as
well as maternal and paternal ancestry.

The 23andMe service attracts a wide variety of customers, from adoptees
who want to learn where their ancestors came from and fill in the gaps in an
unknown family medical history, to seniors who want to leave a genetic legacy
for future generations, to the health conscious who want to learn about their
genetic propensities for various conditions.

Making Genetics Personal with New Community Sharing Features

23andMe has also introduced a new forum for customers to learn and share
their genetic insights via new community pages on its website
http://www.23andme.com. This social networking functionality gives customers
the ability to create a profile, connect with others, share stories, ask
questions about specific traits and ancestry groups and learn more about
research studies.

The 23andMe(TM) service enables its customers to:
    
    -- Search and explore genes contributing to their personal 
       characteristics, such as lactose intolerance, athletic ability, and 
       food preferences;
    -- Learn how the latest research studies relate to their genomes;
    -- Compare their profiles to family and friends who are also 23andMe 
       participants and trace the inheritance of genes associated with 
       specific traits;
    -- Discover their genetic roots and learn about where and how their 
       ancestors might have lived and the prehistoric events they
       experienced, and;
    -- Actively participate in a new research approach and contribute to the 
       advancement of the field of genetics.



The company also announced today a partnership with Ancestry.com, which
makes the rich 23andMe ancestry content available to users of the
Ancestry.com DNA service (see separate release).

Joining the 23andMe Community

To learn more and embark on your own personal genetics journey, please
visit: http://www.23andme.com.

23andMe is now available to consumers in the following locations:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and
Vatican City State.

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc. is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to
helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA
analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal
Genome Service(TM) enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their
ancestry and inherited traits. 23andMe, Inc., was founded by Linda Avey and
Anne Wojcicki in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned
experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science.
Its Series A investors include Genentech, Inc., Google Inc. and New
Enterprise Associates. More information is available at
http://www.23andMe.com.

Web site: http://www.23andme.com