personalized_medicine_01_txt

This knowledge of the contribution of genetic variation to effective drug therapy is also likely to impact how drugs are developed and marketed.  Currently, drugs must be tested in large and varied populations that include individuals who would respond well to the drugs as well as some who might not.   This often creates the possibility that the effectiveness of the drug is underestimated because of those that did not respond well to the drug.  However, if drug developers understood the contribution of genetic variation to the effectiveness of the drug, they could test the drug in a much smaller group, comprised of people would likely respond to the treatment with minimal side effects.  While the drug in question might not treat everyone with a particular disease, it would very effectively treat a subset of those patients.  This could make drugs that otherwise would not be seen as valuable available to those who need them and potentially reduce the costs of drug trials.