Please describe your own decision to use Orchid’s technology for yourself.
So, I started the company because I wanted to test my own embryos.
Is it because of your mother or because of you as a person?
both. Reproduction is one of the most basic things in life. It’s like you die, taxes, and, you know, people have kids.
You always wanted to have children.
oh yeah. Yeah.
At what age did you think you could sequence embryos?
I don’t think that’s what sequenced my embryos. in particular. I have always been interested in genetics. I have always been interested in reproductive medicine and technology.
Even as a teenager?
I remember that one of my applications for the Thiel Fellowship did include a version of Orchid.
That was more than a decade ago, and many parents-to-be still rely on the same genetic tests we used back then.
I think it’s negligent to use old technology. Because, by definition, you’re missing hundreds of things that could have been detected. Parents who are not aware of this new technology are at a huge disadvantage and will likely sue if their child becomes ill.
Do you think that is a legitimate lawsuit?
of course. Even if your doctor doesn’t tell you there’s a way to test to see if your child has a life-threatening or life-altering disease, it’s already happening. [Parents have been suing physicians for failing to perform genetic tests since the late 1980s.]
How much does an orchid test cost?
Each embryo costs $2,500.
And we’ll probably screen some embryos. What about families who can’t afford it?
We have a charity program so people can apply to it and we’re excited to take on as many cases as possible.
Customers at this point should tend to be wealthy optimizers, people who care a lot about numbers.
I think you’re right. I mean, I don’t know.
Is there anything to worry about?give people something like more What are you worried about?
No, no, no. I think it’s the opposite. For the majority of patients, this reduces anxiety.
There must be exceptions.
I’m sure some people are feeling anxious. And I don’t think they should do genetic testing.
oh yeah?
In other words, everyone is different. However, I would like to increase the number of menu items to choose from. You can choose your partner. You can choose whether to have children and when to have them. This is like, this is your child. Why censor information about it?
However, this still makes many people very uncomfortable. Anything related to reproduction is often associated with fear. Are we afraid of playing God or something?
Every time we test something, we develop insulin. We’re like, “That’s amazing!” You’re not playing God there. But that’s actually true, isn’t it? You’re creating something that didn’t exist before.
