WASHINGTON, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Genetic
testing made possible by the mapping of the human genome can help
the US cut costs and create jobs while at the same time improving
survival rates for such diseases as cancer, HIV, and heart
disease.
This according to Alan Mertz, president of the American Clinical
Laboratory Association (ACLA): “Genetic testing is going to be a
powerful and increasingly important tool in helping public and
private payers get control of over-utilization and inappropriate
utilization of health care resources,” said Mertz in a recent
presentation to the Marwood Group, a health care advisory and
financial services company.
“An estimated $30 billion – $110 billion every year could be
saved by using genetic tests to select the drug that precisely
matches the genetic fingerprint of the patient,” said Mertz.
Every year, the US spends about $300 billion on pharmaceuticals,
he explained. But studies show that anywhere from 20% to 75% of
patients do not respond to drug therapy, often due to drug
interactions or incorrect dosing. Roughly half of the time, it is
due to a molecular mismatch between the patient and the
pharmaceutical, said Mertz.
“But if we provide patients with more targeted therapy —
based upon their own, unique genomic profile — we have clear
potential to address some of this inappropriate care,” he
added.
Mertz cited examples where genetic tests both improve health
outcomes and health economics: In breast cancer, 30% of women
have an overabundance of the HER2 protein. Regular chemotherapy
will not help them, but a drug called Herceptin does. Genetic
testing lets doctors know which patients will respond to the drug,
which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 33% and the
risk of recurrence by 52%. The resulting cost savings is $24,000
per patient.
Similarly, genetic tests help physicians select the right drug
for patients with metastatic col
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