Everlywell, an at-home lab testing company, is partnering with AI-powered gut microbiome company Jona to bring a gut microbiome test to consumers nationwide.
Everlywell is a direct-to-consumer company selling tests in all 50 states for daily health, digestive health, sexual health and hormone health. It also offers telehealth appointments with clinicians and partners with health plans and employers.
Through the partnership with Jona, customers will be able to access Jona’s at-home gut microbiome test directly on Everlywell’s platform for $399, versus the typical price of $485.
The test identifies bacteria, viruses and fungi in the microbiome, and then provides results based on thousands of scientific studies, identifying associations between the patient’s microbiome and various conditions like Crohn’s disease or psoriasis. It will also offer personalized recommendations for diet, supplements and lifestyle changes to improve gut health.
“Jona analyzes the microbiome at a deep, strain-level resolution, uses AI to connect those findings to the latest research, and applies our simulation-based digital twin to identify the most effective solutions for a person’s biology,” said Leo Grady, founder and CEO at Jona. “This way, we ensure consumers receive insights that are not just descriptive; they are also actionable and evidence-based.”
According to Everlywell, the gut microbiome is one of the “next frontiers of consumer-initiated testing.”
“We are receiving a lot of inbound interest from innovative diagnostics companies that want to partner with us because of the breadth of the Everlywell platform: our DTC consumer site, our 50-state network of clinicians and genetics counselors, our deep experience working with health plans,” said Matt O’Connor, general manager of Everlywell’s consumer division. “In the case of Jona, we’re excited to partner with one of the most innovative companies in the microbiome space, bringing together their technology with the Everlywell consumer platform and clinical network to expand access to potentially life-changing insights on the microbiome’s impact on digestion, immunity, metabolism, and more.”
This partnership comes as about 60 to 70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases, including chronic constipation, gastrointestinal infections and inflammatory bowel disease. Jona aims to make the gut microbiome a “standard part of how healthcare is understood and managed,” and working with Everlywell allows it to scale to millions of consumers, Grady said.
“Our vision is to establish microbiome testing to be as common as bloodwork, not just something niche or experimental,” he said. “Part of achieving this vision is to make advanced microbiome insights accessible at a national and then global scale. Everlywell has already demonstrated how to reach millions of people with at-home testing, and together we want to bring a new level of depth and personalization to that experience.”
Photo: mikdam, Getty Images
