Struggling DNA-testing site 23andMe to lay off 40% of its workers

The company said it expects to incur one-off costs of $12m (£9.3m), including severance pay, for the plan that will result in savings of $35m.

“We are taking these difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships,” Ms Wojcicki said.

The company also said it is considering what to do with the therapies it had in development, including licensing or selling them.

23andMe is a giant of the growing ancestor-tracing industry. It offers genetic testing from DNA, with ancestry breakdown and personalised health insights.

In December last year, 23andMe confirmed that hackers had accessed details of about 6.9 million of its users.

In some cases this included family trees, birth years and geographic locations, the company said. But the stolen data did not include DNA records, it said.

Its customers included famous names, from rapper Snoop Dogg to multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffett.