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
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 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
    pharmaphorum
    Democracy Comes to Healthcare
    May 12, 2015
    health reform
    Medical Regulations Run Amok!
    March 11, 2013
    The Risk of Concussions in Contact Sports
    September 22, 2017
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Is 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 > Specialties > What Is Personalized Medicine?
Specialties

What Is Personalized Medicine?

Eileen O'Brien
Eileen O'Brien
Share
0 Min Read
doctor's hands holding stethoscope
SHARE

doctor's hands holding stethoscope“’Personalized medicine’ refers to the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient,” according to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report, doctor's hands holding stethoscope“’Personalized medicine’ refers to the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient,” according to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report, Priorities for Personalized Medicine. “It does not literally mean the creation of drugs or medical devices that are unique to a patient, but rather the ability to classify individuals into subpopulations that differ in their susceptibility to a particular disease or their response to a specific treatment. Preventive or therapeutic interventions can then be concentrated on those who will benefit, sparing expense and side effects for those who will not.”

We’re moving from the age of one size fits all medicine to personalized medicine based on the genetic profile of individual patients.

Cancer and personalized medicine
Personalized medicine in cancer has made tremendous strides due to the discovery of biomarkers and their corresponding targeted therapies. Biomarkers are defined by the National Cancer Institute as “A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition.” Biomarkers for a variety of tumor types, such as breast, colorectal and lung cancer, have been identified. These predictive biomarkers can identify the patient subpopulations that are most likely to respond to a specific therapy.

 

More Read

Image
How To Choose Gym Equipment That’s Right For You
Alcohol Abuse a Growing Problem for Older Adults
10 Ridiculously Cool Facts You Did Not Know About CBD Vape Oil
Providers Hesitant to Discuss End-of-Life Care with Some Patients
4 Debilitating Health Problems Too Much Anxiety Creates

One of the first examples of personalized medicine is the drug Herceptin. “About 30% of patients with breast cancer have a form that over-expresses a protein called HER2, which is not responsive to standard therapy. Herceptin was approved for patients with HER2 positive tumors in 1998 and further research in 2005 showed that it reduced recurrence by 52% in combination with chemotherapy,” reports the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC).

The importance of diagnostic tests
To determine whether these new targeted medications will work, the tumors need to be tested for the presence of the biomarker. Diagnostic tests are an essential part of the development of these personalized therapies. I attended a Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association event at Merck where Daniel Winkelman from BioTrends noted, “Approximately 10% of marketed drugs recommend a genetic test for optimal treatment.” The FDA has included as part of therapy labels the applicable branded diagnostic test.

For example, the medication Selzentry targets a specific strain of HIV known as CCR5-tropic. “Selzentry was developed in conjunction with the Trofile™ assay, a molecular diagnostic test that determines if a patient is carrying the CCR5-tropic variation of the virus,” explains PMC.

The future looks bright
Winkelman said that in the past five years there has been a 75% increase in the pharma industry investment in personalized medicine. As targeted therapies are developed for more subpopulations, this investment can be expected to pay off for both industry and patients. What do you think the future holds for personalized medicine?

Image courtesy of Alex Proimos on Flickr (CC BY).

TAGGED:personalized medicinepharmaceuticals
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

For Baby Boomers, a New Kind of Joint

June 9, 2011
ObesitySpecialties

How To Lose Weight And Eat Food You Love By Tracking Macronutrients

November 23, 2019

Protecting Seniors From the West Nile Virus

September 13, 2012
SpecialtiesWellness

3 Ways to Find More Free time and Reduce Stress Despite a Hectic Work Schedule

February 10, 2019
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?