For decades, researchers have pursued coding-gene pharmacogenomic testing as a way of improving medication selection and reducing medication side effects. Despite advances, the results have been limited in their ability to predict patient outcomes, interpret drug-drug interactions, and avoid potential adverse reactions.

The Breakthrough

A University of Michigan team, led by Dr. Brian D. Athey, developed a breakthrough technology for determining how individual genes are impacted by specific drugs, when evaluated in a combination with external environmental factors and patient traits, such as network biology, ethnicity, environment, sociological factors, and recorded health history. 

The result is a highly predictive profile of a patient’s unique drug response or phenotype. Athey and biotechnology entrepreneur Dr. James S. Burns evaluated the potential applications of advanced pharmacogenomics and created a plan to move the technology forward. Phenomics Health Inc. (PHI) was launched in 2018 and PHI’s proprietary Precision Phenome Platform™ (P3) was introduced.