Exploiting human genetic variation in drug discovery and development

'The right drug for the right patient at the right time'Is this a realistic goal for today's pharmaceutical industry and tomorrow's medical practitioner? Or merely an over-simplistic refrain that can only ever be an unfulfilled dream? Here we discuss the reality behind the dream and illustrate how the analysis of genetic variation is a complex science that has the capacity to make significant contributions to drug discovery and development strategies. An understanding of the impact of human variation must be a central consideration in the future practice of pharmaceutical R&D.