title: Patient-tailored medicine, Part one: the impact of race and genetics on medicine.
abstract: One of the more controversial elements of advancing technology is the use of race and genetics to help create more specific types of medicines that will help combat diseases and conditions that appear to be more prevalent within certain races or ethnic groups than in others. Considering the history of discrimination and inadequate treatment of individuals on the bases of race and gender in the United States, there is justifiable concern that race or gender-based treatment could be used to legitimate discrimination. On the other hand, there is substantial proof that the current method of creating medicines for the general public is problematic and could prevent effective treatments from reaching the marketplace. Part One of this series addresses the relevance of genetic information, and how race and genetics have affected and may impact the development of medicines, pharmacogenomics, and personalized medicine in the United States. Part Two, which will appear in the next issue of the Journal of Health and Life Sciences Law, will focus on how personalized medicine may affect the American legal, regulatory, and legislative environment.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente, USA. jeff.braff@kp.org
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Braff
authors.forename: Biswajit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hochman
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kelton
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kennington
authors.forename: Chandana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kolavala
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Layman
authors.forename: Corrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parver
authors.forename: Myra C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Washlick
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015195:Drug Design; D005053:Eugenics; D006801:Humans; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D044469:Racial Groups