Personalized Medicine: Harnessing Genetics for Improved Care

Mexico stands at a pivotal moment in its healthcare evolution, with personalized medicine — also known as precision medicine — emerging as a transformative approach. By tailoring treatments to the genetic, molecular, and contextual characteristics of individual patients, this strategy has the potential to improve outcomes, reduce adverse effects, and optimize resource allocation. However, widespread adoption remains limited due to financial, regulatory, and infrastructure challenges.

“In recent decades, medicine has undergone significant transformations due to advances in genetics and biogenetics,” says Alejandro Gaviño, President, Mexican Association of Human Genetics. He adds that personalized medicine presents an innovative approach, aligning genetic, environmental, and contextual solutions to address high-prevalence diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes.

Yet, healthcare in Mexico faces persistent financial pressures. Households shoulder much of the cost, as out-of-pocket expenses more than double the OECD average. These expenses also rose 41.4% between 2018 and 2024, according to INEGI. This dynamic underscores the challenge of ensuring equitable access to new technologies, including personalized medicine, which can transform care delivery but also carries the risk of widening inequalities.

The global genomics market is projected to grow from an estimated US$44.21 billion in 2025 to more than US$175 billion by 2034, driven by sequencing technologies and AI integration. In Mexico, the market was valued at about US$480 million in 2023 and could exceed US$1.4 billion by 2030, supported by growth in precision oncology diagnostics and consumer genomics, says Jorge Meléndez, Director General, INMEGEN. He adds that ongoing efforts aim to develop platforms that integrate Mexican innovation and facilitate genomic diagnostics. These efforts include the sequencing Mexican patients and prenatal/pediatric screening to enable early diagnosis and prevent complications.

Institutions such as Hospital Universitario UANL, Centro Médico ABC, and Hospital Ángeles are already applying personalized immunotherapy treatments, setting a precedent for wider adoption. Meléndez also highlights the need to expand genetics specialist programs and strengthen bioinformatics capabilities to ensure the proper interpretation of genomic studies.

Tumor analysis, for example, enables the study and treatment of various types of cancer, says Luis Alberto Vélez, CEO and Founder, Theranomics. “Collaborations with private insurers have demonstrated tangible benefits: at least 30% of patients receiving molecular-guided treatments show significantly improved overall survival,” he says. Vélez adds that the same genetic approaches applied to cancer can be adapted to manage chronic diseases, especially given Mexico’s rapidly aging population and low birth rates. He says that proactive and personalized medicine should become standard across both public and private sectors, and that multidisciplinary approaches must start from the first patient visit, particularly for rare and complex diseases.

“Personalized and precision medicine can prevent up to 80% of the most common diseases through healthy lifestyle interventions,” says Gustavo Rodríguez, CEO and Founder, NutriADN. In oncogenetics and prenatal medicine, timely diagnosis is essential, but prenatal testing is performed in less than 1% of Mexico’s population, compared to 40%–50% in the European Union, he adds.

Despite technological advances, barriers remain significant. Sequencing costs, bioinformatics interpretation, and specialized expertise requirements can make genomic testing prohibitively expensive. “Access and coverage considerations are critical. Catastrophic diseases require dedicated funds for unprotected patients, and molecular diagnostics can cost millions per patient per year,” says Vélez. Regulatory agencies such as COFEPRIS and the FDA must balance speed of approval with patient safety, particularly for rare diseases, he adds.

Further intervention may be necessary to increase access. “Distributive justice in public healthcare is complex; expert panels and decentralized services are needed to maximize social impact,” says Meléndez. Collaborative approaches between government and private sector players can be critical to overcoming bureaucratic and regulatory barriers, maximizing the impact of innovation.

Mexico could have a bright future in precision medicine. With growing institutional support, technological platforms, and regulatory improvements, the country has the potential to become a regional hub for genomics and personalized care, particularly in oncology and chronic disease management. By integrating genetics into everyday medical practice, from preventive interventions to targeted therapies, Mexico can transition from reactive healthcare to proactive, personalized care, ensuring better outcomes and more efficient use of resources, say experts.