Panel discussion on personalized medicine at USciences

Advances in fields such as genetics and genomics have created new opportunities for personalized medicine applications in clinical practice and the healthcare delivery. This integration raises important questions about how personalized medicine can best help patients without increasing costs and improving health outcomes.

To highlight the importance of this emerging field, University of the Sciences' Program in Personalized Medicine and Targeted Therapeutics and Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy is hosting a panel discussion of area experts on Tuesday, April 17. It will be held in USciences' McNeil Science and Technology Center (43rd St. at Woodland Ave., Philadelphia) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Making the Connections: Personalized Medicine - From Promise to Public Health and Policy will provide an update of the field of personalized medicine and explore the field from the perspectives of business, economics, public health, and health policy.

Panelists include:

• Stephen Kimmel, MD, MSCE, Professor of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine: "Personalized Medicine: The Promise and the State of the Science"

• Michael F Christman, PhD, President and CEO, Coriell Institute for Medical Research: "Measuring the Value of Personalized Medicine: Economic and Business Perspectives"

• Amalia M. Issa, PhD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Public Health; Director, Program in Personalized Medicine & Targeted Therapeutics at USciences: "Enabling the Future of Healthcare: Public Health and Policy Issues in Personalized Medicine"

Moderator
• George E. Downs, PharmD, Emeritus Dean, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at USciences

"In exchange for a few drops of blood or saliva, patients are now able to obtain information based upon variations in their DNA sequences that will one day help them benefit from the prescribing of more effective tailored drugs and avoid some of the more serious side effects," said Dr. Issa. "That is the tantalizing promise of personalized medicine."

The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is requested at usciences.edu/connections. Continuing pharmacy education credit is also available.

An annual event, Making the Connections is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Last year, it focused on hepatitis C prevention and treatment.