Reconsidering Consent
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Some ethicists and policy experts continue expressing concern about deCode genetics' plans to analyze the medical records and DNA of as many Icelanders as possible. Critics say the firm should ask permission of every person whose records it wishes to analyze; deCode says "presumed consent" is standard in medical research. Investors, apparently, aren't bothered. deCode went public in mid-July and is now trading at a valuation of $1.08 billion.