Personalized Medicine: A Potential Ally of Mexico’s Health System

Mexico stands at a crossroads in advancing its healthcare system through personalized medicine. While financial barriers, regulatory challenges, and unequal access pose significant hurdles, the country has the scientific capabilities, institutional support, and market potential to make precision medicine a pillar of care, experts say. 

“This shift toward personalized medicine not only improves patient care but also attracts patients seeking advanced treatment options unavailable in public systems,” writes Jesús Hernández, President, Mexican HealthTech Association, on MBN.

Healthcare in Mexico faces persistent financial pressures, with households shouldering much of the cost. Out-of-pocket expenses remain more than double the OECD average and 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 has the potential to transform care delivery but also carries risks of widening inequalities.

Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, tailors treatments to the genetic and molecular characteristics of individual patients. The approach can improve treatment effectiveness, reduce adverse side effects, and allow for more targeted use of resources. While its benefits are well documented globally, adoption in Mexico remains limited, hindered by high costs and uneven access across the healthcare system.

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 approximately US$480 million in 2023 and could exceed US$1.4 billion by 2030, supported by growth in precision oncology diagnostics and consumer genomics, explains Jorge Melendez, General Director, INMEGEN. Industry players see an opportunity for Mexico to position itself as a regional hub, particularly in oncology, supported by biotech nearshoring.

Institutions such as Hospital Universitario UANL, Centro Médico ABC, and Hospital Ángeles are already applying personalized immunotherapy treatments, setting a precedent for wider adoption. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN) is working to strengthen collaboration across clinical, research, and private sectors to advance genomic medicine through technology transfer and gene therapy initiatives.

“In Mexico, this trend is gaining momentum, as healthcare systems increasingly recognize the benefits of precision medicine in improving patient outcomes,” says Héctor Barillas, General Manager Mexico, Wiener Lab, to MBN.

Yet barriers remain significant. For example, even as sequencing costs decline, next-generation sequencing (NGS) tests can be expensive for patients in low and middle-income countries, such as Mexico. Additional costs from bioinformatics tools, reagents, and interpretation services can quickly escalate in the absence of a clear national strategy.  Moreover, Mexico’s health system often focuses on immediate needs and adopting personalized medicine implies a major shift on the country’s health system.

These issues will be at the center of discussion during the “Personalized Medicine in Mexico: Harnessing Genetics for Improved Healthcare” panel at Mexico Health Summit 2025. Leaders from the health industry will explore how the country can integrate precision medicine into its healthcare system, address regulatory and access challenges, and leverage collaboration to position Mexico as a regional leader in genomics and personalized care