23andMe Holding, a human genetics company, has announced the launch of Discover23, a new research offering enabling authorised collaborators to securely access to the power and diversity of the 23andMe research cohort through a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) developed by Lifebit, a technology company trusted by biomedical research organisations and governments.

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Launch concept.
Discover23 provides analysis-ready genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted on 1000+ disease and condition cohorts curated from 4.7B phenotypic data points by 23andMe’s expert scientists. Biopharma collaborators will be able to access summarised results of analyses using data stripped of personal identifiers within 23andMe’s TRE, where authorised researchers are provided with highly secure, isolated workspaces to leverage 23andMe research findings while ensuring the protection of participant privacy.
Discover23 evaluates associations of over 172 million genetic variants across billions of phenotypic data points provided by consenting 23andMe research participants. Approximately 84 percent of the Company’s 15 million customers have opted in to participate in 23andMe’s Research program. Partners can use Discover23 to help identify novel disease biology, discover potential new drug targets, and add genetic evidence into research programs to boost clinical success.
“We are excited to empower experts at the frontier of biomedical research with access to insights and expertise with Discover23,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO and co-founder of 23andMe. “We believe that giving external research partners access to these insights will have the potential to bring new and more effective treatments to the world.”
“At Lifebit, we share 23andMe’s commitment to empower researchers with the tools to drive innovative discoveries in drug development and precision medicine,” said Dr. Maria Dunford, CEO of Lifebit. “We recognise that healthcare data is highly sensitive. We are proud to partner with 23andMe to provide a secure, federated platform that allows researchers to analyse data where it resides, enhancing security, reducing risk, and supporting collaborative research in a controlled environment.”