Pharmacogenetics

Not everybody responds in the same way to medicines. Some medicines work well for some people but not at all for others. Your lifestyle, the food you eat, and where you live and work can all affect how you respond to medicines. But your genes can also play a role. Scientists are studying how your genes, contained in your DNA, influence your response to medicines. This type of research is called pharmacogenetics.

One size doesn’t fit all

Uncovering differences in people's genetic make-ups will help health care providers prescribe the right medicine in the right amount for each person, making medicines more effective. The payoff will be preventing unnecessary effects from the one-size-fits-all medicine dosing that is common today. 
A bonus of this type of research will be an increased understanding of the genes that cause or contribute to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and asthma.

Pharmacogenetic research will also help scientists figure out new and better ways to develop future medicines.

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