
Elizabeth Holmes is finally presenting Theranos data as company collapses - Aelinsaar
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/08/elizabeth-holmes-is-finally-presenting-theranos-data-as-company-collapses/
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zck
I wonder what the chances are that Theranos has invented _something_ valuable.
Maybe not worth 9 billion dollars, but if they had any scientists doing
research, they might've invented something useful.

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icegreentea
Theranos' original big PR splash was when they got FDA 510k clearance on their
finger stick test for a herpes (one of the herpes) test. This was a splash for
several reasons. One of them was that it technically wasn't needed. At the
time of the release, the finger stick test was classified as a 'lab developed
test', and FDA rules at that time is that lab developed tests do not have to
go through the same approval process of say of standalone diagnostic device or
test that would be sold.

Essentially under old FDA rules, selling devices and tests were held to a
higher level of scrutiny than selling testing as a service. This obvious
loophole is in the process of being closed.

So assuming that they haven't completely fudged their original 510k
submission, what Theranos does have is a finger prick test for herpes.

Detection of infectious agents from human samples is typically (not always) an
essentially binary process. Many of the issues that we've been hearing about
Theranos' tech is an inability to properly quantify (that is provide a number
on a continuum) whatever they've been testing for.

It is possible that Theranos' tech as is is sufficient for certain types of
infectious agents tests beyond herpes simplex. However, it's not at all
certain. It'll be a very careful balance of what the sampling error (the
fingerstick), the actual limit of detection (of the testing device), and what
the clinically relevant threshold is (what concentration of
virus/bacteria/antibody) matters.

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icegreentea
So my company is sending me to this conference (too bad, I don't get there
till tomorrow, so I'll miss this talk). My coworker and I were really
surprised when we looked at the sessions last week and found that she was
still presenting. Any other HNers going?

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joezydeco
Probably don't need any HNers in the room when there are 1,000 scientists with
twitter accounts. Should be covered pretty well. =)

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icegreentea
=P of course. Would sure be nice to hear it er, second hand in person though.

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joezydeco
Looks like a careful P/R rework is underway. It's all about the "tabletop lab"
now, and Holmes has shed the black turtleneck. We're scientists now!

[http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/health/theranos-table-top-
labo...](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/health/theranos-table-top-
laboratory/index.html)

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xkcd-sucks
That photo evokes Zoolander to a scary degree

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Aelinsaar
At this point, I think this is a show, mainly with an eye to avoiding or
overcoming any future criminal liability.

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spaceflunky
is it just me or does that woman always look like she just downed a bottle
adderall?

