651genetically predisposing risks without having to change their lifestyle. Rather than
worrying about such theoretical concerns, the emphasis should be on sharing
genomic information with developing countries and using it to develop cost-effec-
tive population- based treatment for endemic diseases in the developing countries
such as malaria and tuberculosis. Personalized medicine may eventually prove to be
more economical than conventional medicine. One reason for investigating person-
alized medicine further in the developing countries would be ethnic variations in
drug response based on pharmacogenetics as currently available pharmacogenetic
data do not comprehensively explain drug response variation within the human
populations. One of the many reasons the solutions are incomplete is that they are
focused on Western patient donors. The genetic causes for variable drug response
are heterogeneous among the various nations of the world, and a classifi cation/
diagnostic kit that works very well for Caucasians may work poorly for individuals
of Asian descent. To generate complete, broadly useful and sensitive drug-patient
classifi cation kits, population studies of international representation are required.
Southeast Asian populations and ethnic subgroups have been poorly represented
in genomics research and product development efforts. The vast majority of phar-
macogenomics research is conducted in North America and Europe primarily
because of the diffi culties in obtaining specimens from countries such as Malaysia,
Indonesia and many other Southeastern Asian countries. To remedy this situation, a
subsidiary was established by DNAPrint Genomics in collaboration with a
Malaysian biotechnology company – DNAPRO SDN BHD (Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia), DNAPrint. The new company has secured access to a broad range of
specimens that allow for the development of pharmacogenomics classifi cation
products for this specifi c population of Southeastern Asian descent. The results
would be available for application to healthcare of nearly 3.5 billion people world-
wide who are of Southeast Asian descent.
Advantages of Personalized Medicine
Advantages of personalized medicine for those involved are tabulated as follows:
the biopharmaceutical industry (Table 20.4 ), the patients (Table 20.5 ), the physi-
cians (Table 20.6 ), and the healthcare providers (Table 20.7 ).
Table 20.4 Advantages of personalized medicine for the biopharmaceutical industry
Reduced costs of drug development
Reduced time for drug development
Monopoly in a specifi ed segment of the market
Increase in discovery of new drugs
Increased revenues from combination of diagnostics packaged with therapeutic products
Reduction of the need for black-box warnings
Rescue of failed drugs by matching them to patients for whom they are safe and effective
© Jain PharmaBiotechAdvantages of Personalized Medicine