Personalized Medicine

There is nothing novel in the insight that individuals react differently to medicines. When we take pain killers, asthma drugs, antidepressants, or even cold medicines, we are taking a 'one size fits all' treatment that cannot account for the differences in our genetic makeups. The problem facing doctors is how to determine which individuals will benefit from a prescription and which ones will experience negative side effects or even death. This is the question that personalized medicine proposes to answer.

As our understanding of DNA and its role in disease becomes more nuanced, scientists are discovering ways to tailor treatments to individuals based on their genetic characteristics. The advent of diagnostic tests that can isolate an individual's specific problem on a genetic level has allowed doctors to administer targeted therapies, thus reducing unnecessary side effects and toxicity. Bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics are two fields that have made significant contributions to personalized medicine.

While personalized medicine is making great strides in patient care, it is also changing the shape of the pharmaceutical industry. ‘Blockbuster' drugs that have traditionally been sold to masses of patients will soon be supplanted by individualized medicines.

FierceBiotech covers personalized medicine because it is revolutionizing the biotech industry and healthcare in general. Our daily briefs keep readers up to date on the scientific, regulatory, and business factors that impact this exciting new field.

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