The viability of marketing home-use genetic collection kits to consumers in Asian markets is growing, bolstered by government incentives, increased consumer awareness of their own healthcare needs and improvements in the technology behind the kits themselves.
The kits employ state of the art genome sequencing that allows consumers to identify gene abnormalities by collecting genetic samples at home and sending them in to labs for analysis and testing. The ability to use the kits to predict the likelihood of contracting certain diseases in advance makes them increasingly popular in the United States, and manufacturers are eager to grow the market for the direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits.
In Thailand in particular, the Thai government’s ongoing policy of offering corporate income tax deductions of as much as 50% for businesses that develop biotechnology products are being utilized to spur the direct-to-consumer genetic testing market. But the kits are also increasingly popular in China and Japan. Overall, the market for such testing kits in Asia holds wide promise.