Knowing patient's genetic make-up may change the way medicines are prescribed

Not all medicines work the same way on every patient, and part of the answer lies in the individual's genetic make-up.

- Judith Tan

Today, personalised genetic testing - available for a fee at some hospitals - can inform doctors of the appropriate treatments for a patient.

Dr Goh Liuh Ling, laboratory director and senior principal scientific officer at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's (TTSH) Centre for Precision and Genomic Medicine, said: “Combining the science of drugs with genomics is a way to develop effective, safe medications that can be prescribed based on a person's DNA.”

Initiated in 2016 as a small service for personalised medicine by a group of doctors, scientists and pharmacists with the support of TTSH, the centre now mainly offers diagnostic screening services for genetically caused cancers and other genetic disorders, including rare diseases.

It focuses on diagnosing and managing adult-onset genetic conditions and has supported more than 1,200 patients with inherited cancers and cardiac, endocrine, renal and immune disorders.