[From ready-made to tailor-made--future possibilities for individualized drug therapy]

Knowledge of the genetic code offers great promise for individualised drug therapy. Recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to new possibilities in the prediction of therapeutic effects and risks of adverse reactions based upon the patient's individual genotype. In addition, these techniques are the basis of gene therapy and are a prerequisite for the development of many other new drugs. This article presents the current status in these fields and discusses to which extent the present promises can be expected to be realised in the future.