|
 |
| home > epc > autumn 2003 > pharmacogenomics and the impact on central laboratories |
|
|
 PUBLICATIONS |
European Pharmaceutical Contractor
|
Fifty years on from the discovery of DNA's double-helical structure, James Watson and Francis Crick's claim that they had Òfound the secret of life' has been complemented nicely by the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003. The Human Genome Project began in 1990 at a time when scientists had discovered fewer than 100 disease genes. Today, more than 99 per cent of the human genome has been sequenced and over 1,400 disease genes have been identified.
Human Genome Project and Drug Development
For the drug development industry, the consequences of sequencing the human genome have not yet been fully realised. Increasingly however, over the past number of years, in order to take advantage of the information gained in the Human Genome Project, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are seeking to incorporate pharmacogenomic components into their clinical protocols. The term pharmacogenomics is derived from the words pharmacology and genomics, and the discipline itself is a combination of those two sciences. In relation to drug development, pharmacogenomics is concerned with the study of how an individual's genetic inheritance affects the body's response to drugs.
Pharmacogenomics holds the promise that drugs can be developed which are targeted at a specific population, improving drug safety and efficacy, unlike the current practice for drug development whereby Ôone size fits all'. This current practice has proven very successful for pharmaceutical companies and many have profited significantly from a number of blockbuster drugs. However, with productivity of pharmaceutical research and development affecting revenue growth and investor confidence, many pharmaceutical companies are now examining other options for drug development, and in this regard one key area of interest is pharmacogenomics.
|
Read full article >>
|
|
 |
|
| Rate this article |
You must be a member of the site to make a vote. |
|
Average rating: |
0 |
| | | | | |
|
|
 |
Industry Events |
 |
Small Scale Biomanufacturing – clinical trials, cell & gene therapies
18 September 2008, Clifton Pavilion, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol
This one day conference, sponsored by bioProcessUK and organised by BioApproaches South West, will cover key, important topics relating to small scale GMP biomanufacturing.
More info >> |
|
 |
News and Press Releases |
 |
Ultra slim and ultra quick
More info >>
|
|
 |
