Last June 2008 I mentioned a new prenatal test for Down Syndrome that could potentially eliminate new DS births. Now, the newspaper says that the company, Sequenom, probably faked the research tests.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/30/sense-anxiety-sends-sequenom-stock-down-39
The CEO, CFO, and two VPs of Research have all been fired, and the company stock has dropped by nearly half. They still insist the test works but admit that they need to start from scratch in proving it. So that's at least another few years before it ever comes to market (if at all).
I'm not sure how to feel about this, still. Yes, I think it's a good idea to have such a test. But I also know that over 90% of expectant parents choose to abort if/when they learn that their unborn child has DS. Hopefully, continuing research will find a way to significantly offset the negative effects of DS and then there won't be so much concern about it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if DS could simply be considered a treatable condition, like diabetes?
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