It has long been the intention of chemists to develop ways to tailor medicines specifically to peoples’ genetics. While that’s still a long ways off, new developments in pharmacology are opening doors for patients that were previously inconceivable.
One such development is the AmpliChip from Roche. It can analyze a person’s genetic makeup and ascertain whether a particular medicine will have negative side-effects.
The AmpliChip detects gene variations among important drug-metabolizing enzymes. Such information will drastically help doctors to prescribe more effective treatments and help people avoid unfortunate medicinal consequences.
No word on when it’ll be widely available or financial feasible.
AmpliChip for Personalized Prescriptions [medgadget via ubergizmo]