Precision Medicine, often used interchangeably with Personalized Medicine, is an innovative approach to disease treatment and prevention that accounts for individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” model, it aims to tailor medical decisions, practices, and products to the individual patient.
The core of precision medicine relies on Biomarkers—measurable indicators, such as specific genetic mutations or protein levels—to guide decisions. For example, a drug may only be prescribed to cancer patients whose tumors carry a specific genetic alteration, thereby maximizing efficacy and minimizing adverse effects for those unlikely to benefit. Key technologies enabling this shift include Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), which rapidly maps an individual’s genome, and advanced diagnostics that identify the precise molecular basis of a patient’s disease. For the pharmaceutical industry, precision medicine drives the development of companion diagnostics and highly targeted Biologics, fostering a more efficient and patient-centric model for drug development and commercialization.
