specific market niches—individual patients. This way of market segmentation
results in a higher level of customization of medicines and treatments.
The cost reduction as one of the dominant goals in all economy sectors is one of
the factors that through the process management led to the application of the
personalized medicine concept. The Six Sigma concept, implemented in the indus-
try for the first time, is now transferred into the medicine with the aim of full
process control. This results in higher efficiency of the overall health care system
because the number of possible errors in the treatment is significantly reduced and
the redundant costs are decreased. It should be emphasized that the process man-
agement in the sense of the Six Sigma system is one of the foundations of the
personalized medicine concept.
The significance of scientific research and technology transfer process in the
personalized medicine approach can be observed in the number of granted patents
in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Although there is antagonism
between technology transfer process and cost reduction in the area of medicine, the
technology transfer in the sense of personalized medicine generates profit. One of
the indicators is the causal relationship between technology transfer process in
biomedicine and the constantly growing number of granted patents coming from
the leading pharmaceutical companies.
The multidisciplinary approach to the concept of personalized medicine is very
important. The future development of personalized medicine will require a high
degree of collaboration among relevant stakeholders in different areas of science
and medicine.
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106 P. Karanikic