The art and science of personalized medicine

The ultimate vision for pharmacogenomics is to develop and enable routine use of genetic profiles so as to select drugs that are most likely to be both safe and effective for each patient. Researchers, regulators, and public and private organizations are all making significant strides in discovering, assembling, and interpreting genetic variability information pertaining to disease and drug therapy. Because no single institution or company will have the sufficient resources to develop a genomic prescribing system, a collaborative model must be introduced. US Senator Barack Obama recently proposed Bill 3822, which could rapidly accelerate pharmacogenomics research through the creation of a new agency for personalized medicine. Such an integrative approach to science promises to bring significant breakthroughs in the implementation of individualized therapy and health-care practice. Clinical pharmacologists have driven personalized medicine to its current location and will continue to propel it to its final destination: improved patient care. © 2007 ASCPT.