Finger-prickin' good: Are simpler blood tests seeing new life years after Theranos' demise?

One Texas company is working to bring these tests back into the mainstream

Illustration of a hand pricked by a needle, with cross-shaped drops of blood, surrounded by blood test text
Can other blood testing companies succeed where Theranos failed?
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

Blood testing company Theranos was once valued at $10 billion, but false claims over its testing abilities led to one of the greatest collapses in the history of the health care industry — and landed its wunderkind CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, in prison for over 11 years. Now, nearly a decade on from that scandal, companies are trying to revitalize the finger-prick blood testing technology that led to the downfall of the Silicon Valley startup.

Theranos claimed that with just a single drop of blood from a finger prick, its tests could provide myriad results about a patient's health. While Theranos wasn't able to accomplish this, other companies are now working to develop a finger-prick blood test that can do what Theranos originally claimed — and possibly more.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.