The timing for genomics and diagnostics

For the low-margin diagnostics industry, pharmacogenomics offers the ability to increase the impact of diagnostics on clinical decision making, and consequently make the field more attractive and profitable. As a result, major diagnostics players are adding pharmacogenomics capabilities to their platforms as highlighted by last week's deal between Millennium Predictive Medicine Inc. and Becton Dickinson Co. What remains to be seen, however, is when products will appear on the market and what prices they will command.

While a broad portfolio of technologies may not immediately lead to an era of pharmacogenomics-based diagnostics, investing in multiple technologies is nonetheless a necessary ingredient. Thus diagnostics companies are turning to biotech for its pharmacogenomics platforms and intellectual property...