News & Events News Releases 2006 Pharmacogenetics: Is This Drug for You?

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Pharmacogenetics: Is This Drug for You?

Washington, DC - March 22, 2006 - Pharmacogenetics—the use of genetic tests to inform or develop drug therapies—promises many things: identification of new drug targets, more effective drugs directed towards those targets, more precise dosages tailored to individual metabolism, and identification of specific populations who are most likely to benefit from existing therapies. This promise, though, is predicated on a robust pipeline of new genetic tests that accurately and reliably identify genetic variations. The current regulatory environment supporting the genetic testing pipeline is fragmented and incomplete, leading to concerns about whether the conditions necessary to achieve the promise of pharmacogenetics are present.

Reporters are invited to cover the Genetics and Public Policy Center’s next Genetics Perspectives on Policy Seminars series - Pharmacogenetics: Is This Drug for You? Speakers will assess the expected growth in the pharmacogenetics industry, trends in development of genetic tests to support that industry, and what regulatory issues may hinder the progress of pharmacogenetics. The event will also be open to the public, and is on the record.

Moderator
Kathy Hudson, director, Genetics and Public Policy Center

Panel
Mara Aspinall, president, Genzyme Genetics

Kathryn Phillips, professor of health economics and health services research,
University of California, San Francisco

Gail Javitt, director of law and policy, Genetics and Public Policy Center

1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2006
National Press Club
529 14th Street, 13th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20045

Reception to follow

To explore the areas being touched by human genetic technologies and foster discussion about their impact, the Genetics and Public Policy Center hosts a regular lecture and discussion series in Washington, D.C. called Genetics Perspectives on Policy Seminars - GenePOPS, for short. GenePOPS feature experts from relevant disciplines to share thoughts and answer questions about genetic technologies and science policy. The Center is supported at The Johns Hopkins University by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Please RSVP to Rick or Sheryl at the contact information below.

Read the Event Summary
View the Event Video

 

For More Information Contact:

Rick Borchelt (202.663.5978; rborche1@jhu.edu)
Sheryl Wood (202.663-5987; swood23@jhu.edu)

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