Personalized medical treatment based on genetic testing has become a lucrative global industry said to be worth US$30 billion

Personalized medicine based on genetic testing worth US$30bn

Staff Reporter

2014-03-25

Personalized medical treatment based on genetic testing has become a lucrative global industry said to be worth US$30 billion, reports the Chinese-language Global Entrepreneur magazine.

Germany-based Qiagen, a leading provider of innovative sample and assay technologies and products, attracted attention after its products were used for human identity and forensic testing for victims of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in southwestern China’s Sichuan province in 2008.

The human identity testing for earthquake victims produced remarkable results, the report said, while the company has also been able to confirm the presence of the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus using its products.

Every individual is different and genetic traits can affect the effectiveness of medication. Figures show that only a quarter of cancer treatment drugs work, while the remaining three quarters are ineffective because the differences in treatment affecting individuals can be up to 300-fold. A genetic mutation can also render targeted anti-cancer products totally ineffective, according to the report.

Meanwhile, research and development personnel from pharmaceuticals around the world have devoted themselves to the study of thousands of components. Although some of these components are effective in treating certain diseases, they are only effective for a small group of people and have no worth for commercial development. These components have been termed “fallen angels,” the report said.

However, through gene identification techniques, including a type of DNA analysis and identification of different genes based on DNA sequences, physicians will be able to select some of these components suitable for treatment of patients’ illnesses and rid them from the list of “fallen angels,” thereby facilitating their mass commercial production.

As a result, a US$30-billion business catering to special groups of patients has been created as the prices for these medicines and genetic tests are high. Consultancy firm BBC Research revealed in its 2012 report that the market for personalized medical treatment was expected to rise to US$29.2 billion in 2014, 15.2% year-on-year growth.

Figures also show that around 80,000 to 100,000 people in China arrange to be tested every year for certain epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations to determine whether they are suitable to undergo the Iressa (gefitinib) monotherapy for lung cancer. Given that such a test costs some 3,000 yuan (US$490), the potential market for the drug is huge, especially in view of the fact that China reports more than 700,000 new lung cancer cases a year.