A new report commissioned by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust and funded by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain cautions that people need to be realistic in their expectations regarding the genomic medicine revolution, recognising that it will be slower in arriving then had been promised (see press release). The “…high hopes for the translation of medicine — through genetic testing, gene-based drugs, stem cells, gene therapy and other new developments — are the result of hype rather than realistic expectations.”
‘Realising the Potential of Genomic Medicine,’ is authored by Dr Paul Martin and Michael Morrison at the Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society at the University of Nottingham. The report focuses on key areas of genetic and genomics: molecular diagnostics; pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics; and new biological therapies, such as gene and stem cell therapies. The report explores each and provides realistic expectations for their entrance into clinical use. The authors see new medicines and diagnostics entering the market, particularly therapeutic protein drugs and genetic tests for monogenic disorders. They also see a small rise in pharmacogenetic drugs/tests, genetic and biomarker based diagnostics for common conditions, adult stem cell therapies (based on haematopoietic stem cells) and pharmacogenomic drugs. But gene therapies, human embryonic stem cell therapies and cancer vaccines will be slow to enter clinical practice. The report also examines the changing pharmaceutical industry, the move to over-the-counter drug sales, the development in genetic services and the changing NHS.
The authors conclude that stakeholders need to be realistic as to the scale of innovation in genomic medicine and the speed at which it will arrive. They must realise that biomedical innovation is a slow and incremental process as opposed to a ‘revolution.’ “In general, it is not the lack of public support, adverse media reports or excessive regulation that holds back the development of new medicines, but the very significant scientific and technical problems involved.” Acknowledging this fact will help enable stakeholders to understand which innovations are likely to affect them in the medium term and be better placed to adopt them effectively.