The advancement of precision medicine hinges on supportive policies, legislative frameworks, and collaborative efforts that foster innovation, streamline regulatory processes, and ensure equitable access to cutting-edge treatments. Here, we share notable policy initiatives and examples of collaborative efforts in the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting their goals, implementation, and potential impacts.
United States
Policies and legislative strategy examples
- 21st Century Cures Act: This Act supports precision medicine by advancing biomedical research and reducing administrative burdens that delay clinical trials. It includes provisions for improving data sharing and privacy protections while encouraging diversity, integrating more precision treatments into standard care, and accelerating the development and approval of innovative medical products.
- All of Us Research Program: Part of the NIH Precision Medicine Initiative, this programme aims to gather health data from one million or more people in the US to accelerate research and improve health. It focuses on understanding how different factors like environment, lifestyle, and genetics impact health, enabling more precise and personalised treatments.
- Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program: Led by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI, part of the NIH), this program complements All of Us by generating comprehensive molecular profiles associated with health and disease. TOPMed has sequenced nearly 200,000 genomes, focusing on the genetic underpinnings of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.
- Cancer Moonshot Initiative: This initiative seeks to make a decade's worth of advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in just five years by funding research into the genetic basis of cancer and developing targeted therapies that improve patient outcomes and reduce treatment costs.
United Kingdom
Policies and legislative strategy examples
- NHS Genomics Strategy: This strategy focuses on integrating precision medicine into standard care across the NHS by embedding genomics throughout the healthcare system, delivering equitable genomic testing, leading the data and digital revolution, and advancing through cutting-edge science and innovation. This includes:
- Implementing an innovative service model from primary and community care to specialist and tertiary care.
- Enhancing outcomes in cancer, rare, inherited, and common diseases by enabling precision medicine and reducing adverse drug reactions.
- Ensuring genomic data can be interpreted alongside other diagnostic and clinical data for comprehensive patient care.
- Rapidly implementing advances in genomics to benefit patients.
- UK Life Sciences Industrial Strategy: This work aims to create an environment that supports the growth of the life sciences sector, including precision medicine. It includes measures to enhance the UK's clinical trials infrastructure, support for small and medium-sized enterprises developing innovative healthcare solutions, and investments in genomics and data analytics.
- 100,000 Genomes Project: A state-supported project that uses genomics and data-intensive biomedical technologies to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment accuracy. It requires vast data collection, infrastructure development, and organisational arrangements for data sharing, and is instrumental in building capacity among healthcare professionals to deliver precision services effectively.
- Training and upskilling: Recognising a knowledge gap within its services, the NHS is also prioritising training and upskilling through royal societies, Health Education England’s Genomics Education Programme (GEP), and local genomic medicine services. New training initiatives will focus on when and how to request genomic testing and how to communicate sensitively with patients, families, and carers about their results.
To fully capitalise on these legislative efforts, it is crucial to foster international collaboration and harmonisation of standards. Policies should address funding mechanisms to support ongoing research and development in precision medicine and ensure equitable access to precision treatments across different socioeconomic groups. Policymakers should prioritise initiatives that bridge these gaps, ensuring that all patients can benefit from the advancements in precision medicine. For more information, download our whitepaper below.