Pharmacogenomics and the path towards personalized medicine.

Pharmacogenomics and the path towards personalized medicine. Interindividual variability in the response to drugs is primarily explained by genetic factors. The study of polymorphisms associated with abnormal expression or activity of proteins involved in drug metabolism, transport or pharmacological activity constitutes the basis of pharmacogenomics. Although still in early phases of development, pharmacogenetic analysis in different therapeutic areas significantly contributes to the selection of drugs and doses for the individual patient and is already recognized and recommended by scientific societies, regulatory agencies and public health organisms. The ability to maximize drug efficacy and prevent adverse effects through the analysis of host genetics paves the way to the personalized therapy of the future.