While drugs are typically designed on a "one-size-fits all" basis, a personalized approach to medication is increasingly possible using genetic information.  People inherit their responses to drugs just as they inherit hair color, so DNA sequencing technologies can help physicians better predict an individual patient's likely response to specfic medications. 

In this video, the co-chairs of Stanford's Bioengineering department, Dr.  Stephen Quake and Dr. Russ Altman, discuss ongoing work at Stanford to use personalized genomic medicine to help physicians design treatment plans that have fewer side-effects and greater efficacy.