By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    The perfect routine to maintain your weight over the holidays
    The Perfect Routine to Maintain your Weight over the Holidays
    January 11, 2023
    acupuncture health benefits
    5 Benefits of Receiving Acupuncture Regularly
    March 9, 2023
    safe and healthy company outings
    Five Essential Health and Safety Tips for Company Outings
    June 18, 2023
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    the doctor will skype you now telemedicine
    The Doctor will SKYPE You Now
    March 14, 2012
    HHS Updating Regulations to Recognize Changing Technology
    September 12, 2011
    Why Doctors Should Have Their Own Website
    March 26, 2012
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Your Genes Will Drive Personalized Medicine
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > How Your Genes Will Drive Personalized Medicine
BusinessNewsTechnology

How Your Genes Will Drive Personalized Medicine

Andrew Schorr
Last updated: January 30, 2012 4:40 pm
Andrew Schorr
Share
5 Min Read
Andrew Schorr at the Personalized Medicine World Conference
SHARE

Andrew Schorr at the Personalized Medicine World ConferenceThis month I was honored to be the master of ceremonies at the Personalized Medicine World Conference in Silicon Valley, California. for the second time. About 850 scientists, venture capitalists and physicians attended and most all of them, have many more letters after their name for advanced degrees than I have!

Andrew Schorr at the Personalized Medicine World ConferenceThis month I was honored to be the master of ceremonies at the Personalized Medicine World Conference in Silicon Valley, California. for the second time. About 850 scientists, venture capitalists and physicians attended and most all of them, have many more letters after their name for advanced degrees than I have! These smart folks have been building the technology and processes to enable all of us to receive preventive medicine and treatments that, when needed, are an exact match for our individual biology. Yes, we humans are largely the same, genetically speaking, but those subtle differences can make all the difference for our health risks, and for what type of disease we have when we develop one.

Increasingly, as I heard at the conference, companies are developing very targeted drug therapies that are designed to be used on people who were positive on companion new, very specific tests. In other words, the FDA is now being asked to approve tests and medicines as a package. It makes sense: know if the medicine is right for a specific patient and then prescribe it. If it is not right, avoid the expense and the risk of serious side effects.

I had a message for these mostly techy folks: Partner with us patients right now – even if widespread genetic screening or analysis of a patient’s illness is not ready for prime time. We want to know what’s coming and we want to advocate for its use for us when it becomes available. Start supporting education about personalized medicine right now.

More Read

Waste in the American Health Care System?
Humana Bolsters Care Management Capabilities with Acquisition of SeniorBridge
California Hospital Association Sues HHS
Mastering the Business of Healthcare [INFOGRAPHIC]
Health Care Data Thieves Mainly Looking to Make Money

The technology folks are zooming in their progress. One speaker said they now can sequence a patient’s entire genome in a day. Next year it will probably be much faster and much cheaper. But there’s an obstacle: current clinical practice. You doctor – in most cases – has had little or no training in applying genetic information to risk reduction or treatment. Will they adapt and if so, how fast? As for us patients, it is in our best interes to know our specific health risks and to demand current or experimental therapies that have the best chance for matching up with a genetic signature of a disease when one shows up on a test. We can drive personalized medicine at our local clinic.

Right now genetic sequencing is starting at university cancer clinics. That’s the basis for melanoma patients with BRAF getting a new drug for that mutation; or lung cancer patients getting a new drug for the ALK mutation. This is just the beginning.

As a patient, I am cheering on the folks I met at the conference. Develop the computing power and genetic analysis, ever faster and cheaper. Make it irresistible for clinics. Educate doctors and patients as to what’s significant. And push forward with the approval of new tests and companion drugs that can match up with specific patient types for a realization of true targeted, precision medicine.

So the news I bring you is that all this is possible if we can move the creaky battleship of healthcare delivery into the 21st century and if we, as consumers, demand, in genetic terms, the use of approaches that are right for us as individuals.

Wishing you and your family the best of health!

Andrew

Follow Patient Power’s ongoing coverage of Personalized Medicine

TAGGED:FDApersonalized medicine
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

A Cardiologist in Your Pockets: HF Defender App for Heart Failure Patients

August 22, 2013

#TEDMED Day Two: The Reinvention Continues

October 29, 2011

Patient Engagement: Overused Sound Bite or Transformative Opportunity?

April 6, 2015

Derrick Rose and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears: Decision Making

April 30, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?