LONDON (Agence de Presse Medicale for Reuters Health) - Britain’s top scientific body, the Royal Society, on Monday announced an investigation into the new technology of pharmacogenetics in which drugs are tailor-made according to a person’s genetic makeup.
In a statement, it said pharmacogenetics was seen as a way of making treatments as safe and effective as possible for every individual but there were reservations about the claims made for the technology, what it might cost, how soon it could be achieved and its impact on healthcare systems.
David Weatherall, a leading Oxford University geneticist and chair of the working group that will conduct the inquiry, said: “This study will look at whether pharmacogenetics is a scientifically achievable aim, be it five, ten or 25 years from now.
“Equally importantly it will look at whether healthcare systems in the UK and elsewhere have the resources to implement such technologies and what the pharmaceutical industry’s assessment is of the significant investment needed to try and develop them in the first place.”
The Royal Society is inviting individuals and organisations to submit evidence and will publish its findings next summer.
MeSH Headings:Biological Sciences: Biology: Genetics: Pharmacogenetics: Biological SciencesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
