Race, distributive justice and the promise of pharmacogenomics: ethical considerations

Pharmacogenomics has emerged in the popular press as a key vehicle ushering in a new era of personalized medicine. Often described in utopian terms, gene-sequencing technology is predicted to result in the creation of a new line of therapeutics tailored to individual genetic signatures. In the absence of cost-effective, ubiquitous genome scanning tests, it may be more accurate to describe the next wave of genomic medicine as population-based rather than one focused on individual differences. Although the completion of the Human Genome Project seemed to confirm the fallacy of a genetic basis of 'race', the use of race in understanding human genetic variation has become a central focal point in the development of tools in genomic research in medicine. Despite the often repeated statement that humans share 99.9% of their genetic makeup, the growing number of privately and publicly funded cell repositories collecting DNA samples from racially identified populations reflects the increasing salience of the relationship between race and genes. Research on the ethical implications of identifying race in pharmacogenomics research has thus far, been fairly limited. As the field surges ahead, it is critical to examine the use of race in pharmacogenomics research and its attendant benefits and potential harm to individuals and groups.