A senior financial analyst reviewing the commercial aspects of the ‘post-genomics revolution’ recently asked me: ‘SNPs—so where's the beef?’ writes AD Roses (pages 277–283). The product in this case is not hamburgers, but medicines. However, the challenge is the same—is there a practical use for all those single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on economic reality? The end point of the biotechnical food chain is not simply elegant science, but discovering new, safe and effective medicines that will address unmet medical needs—at least that is the rationale stated in numerous grant applications and business plans. Why else would large pharmaceutical companies invest in SNP technology?
Informed consent (IC) is the means by which potential research subject make a judgment about the contribution that their involvement in the research can make, relative to the risks or benefits to them as individuals. The paper by Anderson et al (pages 284–292) considers the key elements of the IC process with special relevance to the design and approval of pharmacogenetic trials. Its major goals are to assist researchers and regulatory agencies in better understanding issues specific to pharmaceutical company-sponsored pharmacogenetic research.
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