Will precision medicine revolutionize the world? When the word “Precision Medicine” appeared few years ago, it was a new hope for millions of patients. Biopharma companies are investing big budgets in this market. But how is it going? Is precision medicine improving the life quality of the people?
In order to understand how this process is evolving, we need first to see what the difference between the old “Traditional Medicine” and its new branch “Precision Medicine” is.
Traditional medicine is a broad term that encompasses all of the different approaches to healthcare that have been developed and practiced over the centuries. It includes everything from herbal remedies to surgery.
Precision medicine, on the other hand, is a newer approach to healthcare that is based on the individual’s genetic makeup and other factors. It aims to provide the most effective and targeted treatment possible for each individual patient.
Key differences between precision medicine and traditional medicine
Traditional medicine:
- One-size-fits-all approach
- Treatments based on symptoms
- Limited understanding of the underlying causes of disease
- May be less effective for certain patients
Precision medicine:
- Personalized approach
- Treatments based on the individual’s genetic makeup and other factors
- Deeper understanding of the underlying causes of disease
- Potentially more effective for all patients
Three examples of precision medicine in use
- Cancer treatment: Cancer is a complex disease with many different subtypes. Precision medicine can be used to identify the specific genetic mutations that are driving a patient’s cancer. This information can then be used to select the most effective treatment for that individual patient.
- Genetic testing: Genetic testing can be used to identify genetic mutations that may predispose a person to certain diseases. This information can be used to develop personalized preventive care plans.
- Pharmacogenomics: Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs. This information can be used to predict how well a patient will respond to a particular drug and to adjust the dosage accordingly.
Some of the benefits of precision medicine are surely more effective treatments, as well as reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and increased survival rates.
On the other hand, it faces challenges such as high costs (precision medicine can be expensive, especially for genetic testing and targeted therapies), and it is also not yet widely available.
In addition, some ethical concerns have been questioning processes and methods, such as the potential for genetic discrimination.
But precision medicine is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to revolutionize healthcare. It offers the promise of more effective, targeted treatments for a wide range of diseases. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed before precision medicine can be widely implemented.
