Linking pharmacogenetics-based diagnostics and drugs for personalized medicine

Progress toward personalized medicine in the five years following the sequencing of the human genome has been slower than many expected. We focus on two potential factors that might be important in explaining this disappointing progress: the limitations of genetic prediction and the lack of appropriate economic incentives. Clinical application of DNA-based and other biomarkers is likely to succeed only on a case-by-case basis, depending on such factors as information content of the biomarker, accuracy of current assessment methods, and effectiveness of available interventions. Both strong intellectual property and value-based, flexible pricing systems will be important in making personalized medicine a reality.