RAJIV KHATAU
LODAAT Pharma, Chicago, USA

Abstract

Personalized medicine can be implemented on an ingredient level for the nutraceutical, food and beverage industry.  New tools for genetic mapping strengthen the intersection between consumer product (functional food) and pharmaceutical companies, and will empower consumers/patients to take charge of their own healthcare.

I was recently at an international biotech conference in San Francisco. Among leading venture capital, bankers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, one of the hottest topics was PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.

Personalized medicine is the future. Currently, the model for Pharma companies is “will this treatment work for most patients,” and modern wellness is moving towards a model that asks “will this treatment work for this individual patient.” We are thus defining Personalized medicine as the equipping consumers with the knowledge and power to make choices into desired actions as it relates to customized individual health and wellness- the making of The Citizen Doctor.

If we understand this general concept of Personalized Medicine, the next question is how does it affect the natural ingredient business, and the intersection of functional food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals? As managing director of a science based pharmaceutical and botanical ingredient manufacturer, we have thought long and hard about what this term and trend means for the pharmaceutical and food-medicine industry.