Category Archives: Biotech and Genetics

An article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago described a disappointing development in the field called “Personalized Medicine.”  For those who aren’t familiar with this term of art, it is generally used to mean the use of a patient’s specific genetic or other biologic information to match them with specific drugs that are more likely to be effective as a result of the person’s individual genetic/biologic makeup.  Many are familiar with the work that has been done to genetically test breast cancer patients to determine whether Herceptin will be effective in tumor control or not, for instance. In fact, the research described in the WSJ article noted that a tumor’s genetic makeup can vary significantly even within the same tumor sample, rendering the application of Personalized Medicine questionable at best. The article states, “The findings don’t diminish enthusiasm for the idea that genetic knowledge about tumors can transform cancer care, the researchers said. But it could make personalized treatment more complex—and more costly.”

I find it very interesting that the concept of Personlized Medicine has been almost entirely limited to discussions about the combination of genetics and medication. … (read the rest)