Extremadura Leading the Way in Personalized Medicine Implementation with Project Medea
Adrián Llerena, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Ex and president of the Spanish Society of Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics, is leading the charge in bringing personalized medicine to the Extremadura Health Service (SES). Llerena emphasizes the importance of recognizing that more medications are not always better and stresses the need to use medicines judiciously and return to simplicity to avoid harmful and dangerous adverse reactions.
The Medea project, spearheaded by Llerena, focuses on implementing personalized medicine in the SES by prescribing drugs based on each patient’s unique genetic information. This approach not only ensures effective treatment but also reduces the risk of adverse effects from medications, either individually or due to interactions with other drugs.
Currently, nearly 5,000 Extremadurans have been genetically studied and are being medicated based on their specific characteristics, a significant leap for the project that will see full deployment by 2024. These patients have access to a genetic report that is integrated into their clinical history, an unprecedented feature in any health system. Llerena notes that this approach allows professionals to view genetic information like any other medical data, making it accessible to patients and their healthcare providers.
The project has been embraced by 188 doctors and nurses across 66 health centers in the region, and it has already completed the development of four key tools, including a rapid genotyping lab and a computer program to facilitate safe and effective prescriptions based on genetic information.
Notably, the Medea project aligns with national efforts to incorporate pharmacogenetics into the portfolio of common services of the National Health System, making Spain the first country in Europe to implement this initiative. Llerena emphasizes that every citizen residing in Spain will have access to genetic analysis when prescribed any of the 65 identified drugs, further reaffirming the nation’s commitment to equitable access to personalized medicine.
Looking ahead, Llerena envisions implementing genetic analysis for the entire population, akin to determining a person’s blood group at birth. The benefits of the Medea project are underscored in a recent scientific publication, revealing that genetic variations play a significant role in patient responses to medications.
Extremadura’s innovative approach to personalized medicine through the Medea project has set a new standard in public procurement of innovation, bringing together public and private sectors to develop groundbreaking solutions that are now on the cusp of widespread implementation.