Learn about what the 2008 presidential candidates say about personalized medicine.
Bipartisan Support for Personalized Medicine
Both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, McCain and Obama, support the use of personalized medicine. Both believe that personalized medicine will play an importat role in improving healthcare.
Senator McCain in his platform on health care encouraged physicians "to personalize and coordinate their care to ensure [that patients] receive the right treatment with the right doctor at the right time."
However, the most vocal supporter of personalzied medicine with a very good understanding of its principle is Senator Obama. Senator Obama introduced the bill "Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act" in 2007. Building upon Obama's experience in crafting the bill, the Obama-Biden campaign pledged "to support advances in personalized medicine to help ensure early detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases."
Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2007 to establish the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Interagency Working Group (IWG). The Interagency Working Group will develop guidelines, protocols, and policies regarding personalized medicine and pharmacogenomic data.The Interagency Working Group (IWG) will include members of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), and the National Institue of Health (NIH). The main objective is to accelerate genomic research and improve our understanding of how enviromental factors affect the human genome and cause diseases.
Previously, the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2007 (also introduced by Senator Obama) aimed to establish funding for genomics research, to loosen regulation regarding genetic screening, and to support development of genetic-based diagnostic tests. Furthermore, the proposed legislation will raise $150 million for genomics research and provide 100% tax credit for companies that develop genetic screening to improve safety and efficacy of drugs. The bill also provides funding for education to expand the genetics workforce and to improve genetics competency in health professionals through training.
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Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act
Applications of Genomics in Medicine - Personalized Medicine
This series of article introduces readers to existing and potential applications of genomics in improving disease treatment. We focus on the topics of personalized medicine (pharmacogenomics), DNA technology and genetic screening.