Dante Labs, a biotech startup that markets direct-to-consumer whole genome sequencing kits, sent five customers used DNA kits, CNBC reports.
After learning of the mistake, Dante issued 10 customers — those who received the used kits and those whose used kits had been sent out — fresh tests and refunds.
In an email to CNBC that has since been posted to the company's blog, CEO and cofounder Andrea Riposati explained Dante Labs uses a third party logistic provider to ship the saliva collection kits then returns them via a prepaid shipping label from either UPS or FedEx.
"For five orders, this partner printed the wrong return shipping labels and received the five kits back in its facility. Then, the partner managed these used kits as new units and fulfilled five new orders with them," Mr. Riposati wrote in the post, which did not name the third party service.
While the kits did not contain any personal information and no data had been shared outside, Dante Labs took "full responsibility" for the mistake, noting its overall error rate is below 0.5 percent — which the company says is "still too high."
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