Investing in Pharmacogenomics: What Venture Capitalists Need to Know

Pharmacogenomics, the confluence of genomics and personalized medicine, is reshaping healthcare, promising to transform treatment by aligning therapies with an individual's genetic makeup1. Despite its potential, the field's development has been uneven, with high-income countries (HICs) outpacing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in research productivity by a factor of 2.91. For venture capitalists, grasping the nuances and challenges of pharmacogenomics is imperative when considering investments in this dynamic sector.
1 China, India, and Brazil are at the forefront of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics research in LMICs, yet their research and development budgets, as a percentage of GDP, lag behind those of HICs1. This funding gap hampers research productivity in LMICs, compounded by the lack of standardized genetic testing and limited bioinformatics capabilities1. Furthermore, the establishment of biobanks, vital for pharma...