Each human being has a unique set of DNA. It’s inherent within us and cannot be changed. Of course, this makes us different from one another, but this uniqueness comes with its own set of flaws.
One of the biggest problems with the uniqueness of our DNA is that it comes with its own set of genetic diseases. One of the most commonly passed-on diseases is allergies.
People have allergies to all sorts of food, but these allergies aren’t the most dangerous. The most hazardous kind of allergy is when a person is allergic to a particular type of medicine. Medicine allergies can be fatal. It can hinder people’s ability to recover. It can also restrict some medical interventions from happening. This is why many pharmaceutical companies are researching personalized medicine.
Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine is the pharmaceutical industry’s attempt to individualize medicine. However, many experts believe that the one-size-fits-all approach is expiring, especially for over-the-counter drugs. It can also be dangerous, especially for people that have allergies to certain ingredients found in these kinds of medicine.
What personalized medicine is trying to achieve is to create uniquely made medicine that can address a person’s genetic uniqueness without sacrificing potency or effectiveness. The thought of medicine being tailor-made for us is revolutionary. Many experts believe this is the future for pharmaceutical companies, but how are we making personalized medicine a reality today?
Genomic Information
Our understanding of genomic information has advanced throughout the years. For instance, our understanding of people’s RNA structure has made it possible to create a COVID-19 vaccine in under a year. Without understanding the genomic information we have right now, we would have struggled to create a vaccine in such a limited time.
This translates to the creation of personalized medicine. As we understand more about people’s genomic information, we can understand their interaction with different medicinal products. We can derive a better reason why people are developing such adverse medical problems with certain medications. Knowing this, we can create personalized medicine for people who require it for their treatment without adverse effects.
Medicine Testing
The process of understanding a person’s genome and making medicine that is unique to that isn’t enough. Different medicine types will have side effects and unique absorption times. One way to test this medicine effectively is through an in vitro absorption test.
These kinds of tests have been researched for the past decade, and it’s only during the past few years that it’s been utilized properly. This is an advanced form of testing that can look into the different properties of personalized medicine and create an accurate result for each individual.
Dissolution testing is also one aspect where medicine testing has improved over time. Companies have developed better dissolution testing approaches, each with its own set of dissolution machines. This will ensure that each personalized medicine’s dissolution time is considered and that none of the ingredients become wasted.
The main problem now is to implement these testing methods at an individualized level. Each medical professional needs access to all the tests, so they can create medicine that’s meant for an individual. It’s still unknown how companies will be able to do this.
Worldwide Collaboration
Lastly, the worldwide collaboration in creating precision and personalized medicine is driving the fast growth of individualized medicine.
We need personalized medicine today. People lack access to specific treatment because they can’t take a particular medicine. This can lead to suffering and eventually death. Some are in constant suffering because they can’t take a particular medicine to help them feel better. These people have to suffer for an extended period unless pharmaceutical companies do something about it.
Companies are collaborating worldwide to create personalized medicine for those who need it. Experimentations are already being done on people that require personalized medicine, and in a matter of years, this will be accessible to people who need it the most. Furthermore, companies believe that personalized medicine is going to be the norm years after that.
The Bottom Line
We are in dire need of personalized medicine. With the collaboration of pharmaceutical companies, increased knowledge about people’s genomic information, and better medicine testing, it’s only a matter of time before personalized medicine becomes the norm. But getting there is still going to take some time.
There are still various setbacks that exist out there, especially for people who are wary of such a revolution. But as long as we can give access to people who need it the most, personalized medicine will always be needed no matter what.
