Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, is an approach to healthcare that considers unique patient characteristics such as genes and lifestyle, for diagnosis and treatment. After all, medicine is not a “one-size-fits-all.” It requires attention to detail and the consideration of individual circumstances because of the immense diversity among humans. Precision Medicine has gained a lot of media attention and increased importance in drug development due to the potential customization options.
Precision medicine can drastically improve treatment efficacy. Traditional drug development typically follows a methodical approach, where medications are developed and tested on large populations without considering individual patients. However, each patient is human, with unique genetic makeup and molecular characteristics that ultimately affect how they respond to a drug. Personalized medicine focuses on identifying genetic biomarkers and other individual factors to determine the most effective treatment strategies for each patient. This allows healthcare professionals to design medications and treatment algorithms that may target specific genetic mutations and pathways and ultimately increase adherence and positive treatment response.
This ultimately means that to develop drugs with specific targets, the targets must be identified and named, a task fit for precision medicine. Studying the genetic and molecular profiles of patients with specific diseases results in the identification of key genetic mutations associated with the condition. This ultimately results in guiding researchers to discover new drug targets to be used for new medications.
Another important benefit that personalized medicine provides is enhancing patient satisfaction. Traditional drug development often involves a trial-and-error process, where patients may need to try several medications before finding the one that works for them. This can be frustrating and time-consuming for patients, who may experience prolonged symptoms or inadequate relief. Personalized medicine aims to eliminate this trial-and-error approach by tailoring treatments to each patient’s specific needs, resulting in less treatment time for a patient.
Personalized medicine has a crucial role in drug development and discovery in various facets. By considering individual variations, personalized medicine can improve treatment efficacy, help identify new drug targets, reduce treatment duration, and increase overall patient satisfaction. As technology and scientific understanding advance, personalized medicine will continue to shape the future of drug development and enable more targeted and effective treatments for patients worldwide.
References:
https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Personalized-Medicine
Akhoon N. Precision Medicine: A New Paradigm in Therapeutics. Int J Prev Med. 2021;12:12. Published 2021 Feb 24. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_375_19
Wang X. New strategies of clinical precision medicine. Clin Transl Med. 2022;12(2):e135. doi:10.1002/ctm2.135