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to identify relevant variants in patient’s data and their pharmacogenomics effect, then put in place apps to
update healthcare systems regularly to incorporate novel gene-drug interactions as academic researchers
identify them.

Education of healthcare professionals at all levels will play an important role in raising awareness of how the
field of personalized genomic medicine is moving forward. Clinicians may not need in-depth knowledge
of the science behind the identification of a variant, or the type of gene variant, but they require an under-
standing of the effect of the variant on disease and the way a patient metabolises a particular drug. There are
several fields leading the practice of personalized genomic medicine but there are some clinicians, particu-
larly in general practice, that would benefit from continued personal development training to keep pace with
this fast moving field.

Developing collaborations
Traditionally academics gain their reputation, and attract research funding, through their publication re-
cords, whereas industry require confidentiality agreements to protect the development of their novel drugs.
Previously this conflict of interest compromised the development of collaborative working partnerships
across academic and industrial institutions. Combined expertise from multidisciplinary sectors being re-
quired to move personalized medicine forward opens up the opportunity for collaborative partnerships.
Academics carry out the basic research into the genetic links to disease and find the molecular targets for
industry to go on to develop the much-needed novel drugs of the future. There are opportunities for small
medium enterprises (often the commercial spin off from academic research projects) to support large phar-
ma by developing the companion diagnostics to personalize novel drugs. Due to the spiraling costs of drug
development large pharma are becoming ever more receptive to partnerships with other sectors to maximize
their research and development capacity. Research funding bodies are recognizing the benefits of collabora-
tion so launch multidisciplinary funding calls to encourage the various sectors to come together to make
personalized genomic medicine a success.

UK Pharmacogenetics and Stratified Medicine Network
[21]
The UK Pharmacogenetics and Stratified Medicine Network was set up as an overarching organization
to provide the opportunity for academic, clinical, industrial and regulatory partners to collaborate with pa-
tients (and other minority groups) to move forward the uptake of pharmacogenetics and use of personalized
medicine in the clinic [Figure 1]. Members use the web based collaborators database to highlight their in-
terests and promote their organizational expertise, then search the database to locate colleagues from other
disciplines to develop partnerships to move their research forward. The network is a non-profit making
organization that has attracted almost a thousand members over the last four years. Such organizations as
the National Institution for Health Research-Clinical Research Network, Northern Health Science Alliance,
UCB Pharma and Innovate UK have sponsored the development of the network. The website also acts as a
“one stop shop” providing information on the events taking place, funding and education opportunities, and
all the latest news on how the field is progressing. Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed founded (and chairs) the
network, with the support of a steering committee made up of individuals from the key sectors involved in
personalized medicine directing network activities. Every year ~250 delegates from across all sectors come
together at the open meeting to listen to quality presentations on the developments in personalized medicine
and meet up with colleagues from other disciplines. The network also invites leading experts throughout the
year to bespoke workshops to debate and propose solutions to the challenge of moving personalized genomic
medicine forward. Presentations from these annual open meetings and workshops are down loadable from
the website, outcomes from the workshops published in peer-reviewed journals. The UK Pharmacogenetics
and Stratified Medicine Network is linking up with similar European organizations, the US Pharmacogenet-
ics Research Network, and representatives from other continents to develop a global consortium dedicated
to exchanging knowledge and moving personalized genomic medicine forward.