Growing emphasis on preventative medicine driving growth of pharmacogenomics

Given its ability to detect a disease in its very early stage, consequently improving clinical outcomes, pharmacogenomic testing is slowly gaining greater acceptance across Europe, according to analysts Frost & Sullivan.

Pharmacogenomic testing decreases the use of expensive therapies and invasive procedures, in addition to reducing bed occupancy and burden on the healthcare system. In Europe, age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and heart failure represent the highest cost burden to the healthcare systems.

The report, "European Personalised Medicine and Pharmacogenomics Market", finds that revenues in this market totalled US$57.1m in 2005, and are likely to reach $109.4m in 2012.

"Considering the imminent benefits of pharmacogenomic testing, governments across Europe have initiated campaigns to encourage the population to be screened on certain types of diseases such as cancer, which has significantly helped better patient management," said Frost & Sullivan program leader Fiona Rahman.

"In the case of cancer, patients have more than 90 per cent five year survival rate if their condition is detected in the primary stages, and pharmacogenomic testing remains the foremost weapon in the fight against cancer," she added.

Going forward, companies will have to clearly demonstrate the clinical practicality of their tests to the medical community. Apart from oncologists, most physicians have misconceptions about the clinical practicality and do not understand the benefits of pharmacogenomic tests, the report asserts.