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Identification
of susceptibility genes related to specific diseases
will allow health care providers to predict more
accurately an individual's risk of developing
a specific disease. With this information, it
may be possible to prevent or delay onset of the
disease or to diagnose it and begin treatment
more promptly if it occurs.
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Increased
understanding of the underlying genetic and biochemical
causes of disease may lead to the development
of more accurate ways of diagnosing disease. Many
conditions we now think of as one disease may
have several distinct sub-types, stemming from
different specific causes (we already know this
to be true of hypertension and asthma, for example).
Better diagnosis will contribute to more effective
treatment.
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The use
of genomic techniques in target identification
and progression may result in the more rapid and
efficient discovery and development of new medicines
that are safe, effective and aimed at the underlying
mechanisms of disease.
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By using
pharmacogenetics, a clinical study design may
be improved and streamlined and better informed,
more timely
decisions
regarding
project continuation/termination could be made.
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Medicine
Response Tests may increase the confidence
of
health care providers in writing prescriptions,
especially for medicines that are known to
cause
serious side effects in a significant number
of people. With these tests, it will be possible
in many cases to screen
patients for their likely response before starting
treatment with a particular medicine.
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Screening
for known gene differences that affect drug
metabolism may give health care providers the
ability to adjust the dose of a medicine before
prescribing it so that patients safely receive
the most benefit from the medicines they use.
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In some
cases, it may be possible for a medicine that
would have been withdrawn from the marketplace
because of a serious side effect in a small
number
of people to stay on the market, thus benefiting
the majority of people who can take it safely.
