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23andMe Files For Chapter 11: Anne Wojcicki Resigns Amid Struggles to Revive Company

In a bold and unexpected move, 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, signaling the company’s struggle to stay afloat amid mounting financial pressure. In its filing with the Eastern District of Missouri federal bankruptcy court, the DNA testing giant revealed it has initiated the process of selling its assets in an attempt to salvage what’s left of its business. Despite the looming uncertainty, 23andMe reassured customers that it would continue operations throughout the asset sale process, emphasizing that there would be no disruptions to how customer data is stored, managed, or protected.

If the bankruptcy court approves its Chapter 11 plan, 23andMe will embark on a 45-day window to solicit bids. If multiple buyers emerge, the company will hold an auction to maximize its value. A key condition for any potential buyer: they must adhere to legal requirements for handling customer data, a significant concern after recent breaches.

In a related shakeup, co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who once helmed the company, has stepped down as CEO. However, Wojcicki isn’t entirely distancing herself from the company—she will remain on 23andMe’s board and is reportedly preparing to bid on the company’s assets herself. Her resignation follows a failed attempt to take 23andMe private. Last month, she made a bid to acquire the company for $2.53 per share, but the deal collapsed when her partner, New Mountain Capital, pulled out. This was followed by a new bid this month, offering just 41 cents per share—a move swiftly rejected by the company’s board. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Wojcicki expressed her disappointment, but also her intent to pursue the company’s assets independently, citing her resignation as a strategic move to position herself better for the bidding process.

The Rise And Fall Of 23andMe

Once a market darling, 23andMe went public in 2021 through a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), reaching a market cap of $6 billion. Wojcicki, a co-founder of the company, saw her fortune soar into the billions. But since then, the company’s stock has plummeted by over 99%, as it failed to reach profitability despite its promising start.

Adding fuel to the fire, the company suffered a major data breach in 2023, when hackers exploited recycled passwords to access sensitive user data. The breach involved over a million genetic data points, including information from high-profile individuals, and was shared across hacker forums. The exposed data included genetic ancestry, birth years, and even personal details of well-known tech figures such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. In the aftermath, 23andMe settled in court, agreeing to pay $30 million and offer three years of security monitoring to those affected by the breach.

As 23andMe enters its next phase under bankruptcy proceedings, the company faces a steep uphill battle to regain trust and value. The fate of its assets—and its brand—now rests in the hands of potential buyers.

Irregular Meal Timing May Raise Heart Risk In Men, New Study Suggests

Eating breakfast at lunchtime or dinner during normal sleeping hours may seem like a minor weekend indulgence. New research suggests, however, that this type of irregular meal timing, described by scientists as “eating jet lag,” may be linked to higher cardiovascular risk in men.

A French study published in Communications Medicine found that each additional hour of eating jet lag was associated with a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% higher risk of coronary heart disease among men. No similar association was observed in women.

Why Meal Timing Matters

Weekend schedules often differ from weekday routines, with work and school timetables shifting when people eat. Over time, researchers suggest, these changes may interfere with the body’s biological rhythms.

“This study suggests the importance of regular meal-timing patterns, beyond sleep and diet quality, in cardiovascular disease prevention,” the authors wrote.

Researchers followed more than 100,000 participants for 14 years, analyzing the timing of their first and last meals on working days and weekends between 2009 and 2023.

Risk Pattern Appeared In Men

Participants were grouped according to how their meal times changed between weekdays and weekends. One group ate earlier on weekends, another maintained similar schedules, and a third ate later.

Both groups with irregular meal timing showed higher cardiovascular risk than those with stable schedules, regardless of overall diet quality. The association was observed only among men.

Researchers proposed several possible explanations. Men generally have a higher absolute risk of cardiovascular disease, while women tend to have stronger morning-oriented routines that may influence how their bodies respond to changes in meal timing.

Circadian Rhythms May Explain The Link

One possible explanation is that irregular eating disrupts the body’s circadian system, which regulates many physiological functions over a 24-hour cycle.

Light is the main signal that sets circadian rhythms, but food timing also helps synchronize peripheral clocks in organs including the liver and heart. Eating in alignment with these rhythms is generally associated with better metabolic regulation, while irregular timing may disrupt that balance.

What It Means For Prevention

The findings do not prove that irregular meal timing causes heart disease. However, they add to growing evidence that when people eat may matter nearly as much as what they eat for long-term cardiovascular health.

If confirmed in larger studies, regular meal timing could become a useful target for public health interventions aimed at reducing chronic disease risk. For individuals, employers and schools, greater consistency in daily routines may be more than a lifestyle preference and could form part of a broader strategy to protect heart health.

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