Precision Medicine: Are We Making Progress?
The Precision Medicine Initiative, launched by President Obama in his 2015 State of the Union speech, aims to extend the concept of precision medicine — the right treatment or prevention plan for the right person at the right time — beyond cancer, where we have seen great progress, to all health conditions. A key part of this effort involves building the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program, a group of at least 1 million Americans who will donate data about themselves, everything from health records to genetic sequences and diet surveys. FDA Chief Dr. Robert Califf thinks that number should be as high as 100 million . Perhaps this may be possible. In a recent survey published in PLOS One more than half of the 2,600 respondents (54 percent) said they would definitely or probably be willing to take part in the program. The President called for $215 million in fiscal year 2016 to support the Initiative, which includes several components with efforts from across