Introduction
Personalized Medicine, also known as Precision Medicine, Individualized Medicine, and Stratified Medicine refers to a novel area of medicine that uses an individual's genetic profile to develop a tailored approach for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Unlike conventional medical treatments that are designed for the general population based on a "one size fits all approach", personalized medicine provides medical treatment to cater to the individual needs of the patient. It involves the use of diagnostic tests to identify specific biological markers to determine the most suitable medical treatments and procedures for each patient.
According to
The Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing personalized medicine and tailoring medical treatments to individual patient characteristics, personalized medicine can improve treatment outcomes of many diseases by providing targeted therapies. A 2022 report by the PMC has revealed that at least one in every four drugs approved by the FDA is based on personalized medicine. In 2022 alone, 34% of all the medicines approved by the FDA were personalized medicines.
Thus, personalized medicine can help clinicians understand an individual's genetic makeup, and then use it to provide targeted therapies.
In the article, we will take a deep dive into the topic including the historical perspective on personalized medicine, biomarkers in targeted therapies, pharmacogenomics, and drug personalization, the role of data and technology in precision medicine, and integrating personalized medicine in clinical practice. We will also walk you through some successful examples of PM implementation.
So with no further delay, let's get straight into the topic.
Historical Perspective
As much as it sounds like a "new" concept, personalized medicine has been around for a while.
In fact, the term "personalized medicine" was first used 25 years ago in The Wall Street Journal and then in The Oncologist. This very first article on personalized medicine entitled "New Era of Personalized Medicine: Targeting Drugs for Each Unique Genetic Profile" described how current medical treatments have poor efficacy due to disease heterogeneity and genetic variability.
It was also around this time that a novel treatment was approved for metastatic breast cancer with overexpressed HER2 protein - a monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab. Guided by an immunohistochemical assay for HER2 overexpression, trastuzumab became the first drug to provide targeted therapy.
Fast forward to today, personalized medicine has achieved remarkable milestones, especially in oncology and hematology. These key developments have reshaped disease management and treatment approaches, setting the stage for the personalized medicine landscape we explore today.
Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies
The WHO defines a Biomarker as,
"Any measurement reflecting an interaction between a biological system and a potential hazard, which may be chemical, physical, or biological. The measured response may be functional and physiological, biochemical at the cellular level, or a molecular interaction."
Thus, biomarkers are quantifiable biological indicators that provide information about
an individual's physiological or pathological status. They are used to support medical product development and in the advancement of personalized medicine to improve human health.
In personalized medicine, healthcare providers can adjust medical treatments through disease-specific biomarkers for individuals or groups of patients. Analytical tools like molecular imaging, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and next generation sequencing (NGS) are being used to develop disease-specific biomarkers for use in personalized medicine.
Successful Targeted Therapies
Some of the most successful applications of targeted therapies in personalized medicine are in the field of oncology. Unlike traditional chemotherapy that targets actively multiplying cancer cells, targeted therapies &q...
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