Orchid Health CEO Predicts Genetic Screening Will Become Default for "Smart Parents"

San Francisco, CA – Noor Siddiqui, CEO of biotech startup Orchid Health, has boldly declared that her company's advanced whole-genome embryo screening will become the "default way smart parents have babies" as its benefits increasingly outweigh the costs. This statement underscores a growing trend in reproductive technology, though it continues to spark ethical debates and scientific scrutiny.

Orchid Health offers preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients, screening embryos for hundreds of monogenic and polygenic conditions. The company's technology analyzes over 99% of an embryo's DNA, a significant increase compared to traditional screening methods. This comprehensive analysis aims to identify risks for neurodevelopmental disorders, pediatric cancers, birth defects, and even predispositions to conditions like Alzheimer's and schizophrenia.

The service, priced at approximately $2,500 per embryo, is positioned by Siddiqui as a means to provide parents with greater control and confidence in a process historically left to chance. "I think it's going to become an option that more and more people will choose because there's just the opportunity to avoid a lot of catastrophic outcomes, and they don't want to roll the dice on their child's health," Siddiqui stated in a recent interview. The company has garnered significant investment, including a $12 million Series A round in December 2023.

Despite the promised advantages, Orchid's technology faces considerable criticism from bioethicists and some genetic researchers. Concerns include the potential for a modern form of eugenics and the ethical implications of selecting embryos based on genetic predispositions. The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), for instance, has objected to the commercial use of its data for embryo screening, asserting that such applications violate their terms of use.

Furthermore, the predictive accuracy of polygenic risk scores for individuals remains a point of contention among scientists. Andrew McQuillin, a professor of molecular psychiatry, noted that while these scores are useful in research, they are "not actually terribly useful to predict who's going to develop schizophrenia or not" at an individual level. Critics also highlight that the high cost of the screening, in addition to IVF expenses, could exacerbate health disparities. Orchid Health, however, has indicated plans to introduce more automation to reduce costs and offers a philanthropic program for low-income patients.