UBiome co-founders placed on leave amid FBI investigation

UBiome chief executives and co-founders Jessican Richman and Zac Apte have been placed on administrative leave following an FBI raid at the company’s offices last week. The company — which sells tests that sequence people’s microbiome to provide information to possibly inform their nutrition or health decisions — is under scrutiny over its billing practices. The FBI heard allegations that physicians who ordered the company’s microbiome tests were paid for referring patients to the tests. The company also allegedly changed certain billing codes for insurers in a way that may run afoul of the law. UBiome is also launching an independent investigation into its billing practices, and has appointed general counsel John Rakow as interim CEO.