The once-thriving consumer genetic-testing company 23andMe is struggling to stay afloat — raising concerns about what might happen to its customers’ data and the broader industry.

The decline marks a fall from grace for a pioneering company once valued at US$6 billion. Over the past few years, the firm has faced mounting challenges, including financial losses and a huge data breach, although this did not involve DNA data. In September, most of the company’s board resigned, and in November the firm said it would cut 40% of its workforce and halt its therapeutics division, which had drugs in clinical trials.