Logo image
Meeting halfway: The untapped potential of gender-specific drugs
Other

Meeting halfway: The untapped potential of gender-specific drugs

G.L. Maker
The Conversation, Vol.19 September
The Conversation Media Group
2011
url
Free to Read *No subscription requiredView

Abstract

Personalised medication is one of the ultimate goals of modern medicine although it’s still some way off. But the promise of gender-specific medicines means we may soon be halfway there. In its purest form, personalised medicine would create treatments for each person based on their individual biochemistry and physiology, improving chances of success and reducing potential risks. But while it’s a noble goal, the potential difficulties are obvious. Not only does personalised medicine require a fundamental change to our health-care system, the costs involved in creating individual treatments would be substantial. So it may be decades before we see truly personalised medicines. The halfway point between the current system and personalised medical care are gender-specific medicines, that is, different drugs or different forms of a drug for men and women.

Details

Metrics

54 Record Views
Logo image