To "get personalized medicine right," Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius will need to "create and implement a reasonable and responsible regulatory framework" for genetic tests and other advanced medical diagnostics.
The Pew Charitable Trust has awarded $750,000 to the Genetics and Public Policy Center for a new project focused on consumer protections for applications of genetic testing.
Baruch argues that federal agencies lack the authority and mechanisms to make ethical determinations regarding acceptable uses of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as data on the long-term health and psychological effects of PGD on families.
The combination of technology that permits the analysis of small amounts of DNA, increased availability of testing services, and lack of regulations to protect genetic privacy create an environment ripe for surreptitious testing.
While pharmacogenomics holds great promise, significant scientific, economic, policy, and practical challenges must be faced before the field's potential can be realized.
Considering the life-altering information that paternity testing can provide, it is imperative that laboratories perform the tests accurately and reliably.
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