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Theranos just added a bunch of actual lab testing experts to its medical board

Theranos just added a bunch of actual lab testing experts to its medical board

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But it’s not clear that will help

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Blood testing company Theranos is shaking up one of its advisory boards again, after a series of damning news articles have called the company's technology and practices into question. Today, Theranos announced that its medical board would include eight lab and medical experts. Unlike many of Theranos past board members, the new additions have expertise in pathology, immunology, and epidemiology — fields directly related to the types of science the company's technology deals with.

The move comes after the company's technology has been called into question

This isn't the first time that Theranos has made big changes to its advisory boards. Up until last year, the company had one board of directors that consisted of 12 members, which included former secretary state Henry Kissinger and former labor secretary George Shultz. That board was heavily criticized, though, since it included only one expert in medical testing, according to The New York Times.

In October, Theranos decided to downsize that board and rearranged it into three different governing bodies. Some of the original members remained on the board of directors, while others, including Kissinger and Shultz, were transitioned to a newly formed board of counselors, responsible for giving advice to Theranos. At the time, company also created an additional medical advisory board, which has remained relatively small up until now.

It's unclear if the new additions will help improve Theranos' image, as the company has made a number of high-profile blunders in the past year. A recent lab inspection report revealed that Theranos allowed unqualified personnel to review patients' blood test results. And another study comparison study found that Theranos' technology is less reliable than tech used in two conventional labs.