How is the global precision medicine market shaping up?

17 NOVEMBER 2025

Several medical treatments, particularly for genetic ailments, rely on symptomatic management instead of correcting the causative issue.
Precision biotherapeutics refers to medical interventions that are designed and optimised based on a patient’s unique genetic, molecular, or cellular profile.
It brings together genetic science, molecular biology, and data analytics to design therapies that identify and rectify the cause of illness.
The field draws on multiple cutting-edge technologies such as genomic and proteomic analysis — decoding a person’s genetic and protein signatures to identify mutations or dysfunctions causing the disease; gene editing therapies — directly modifying genes to correct underlying problems (for example, CRISPR-based treatments for blood disorders); mRNA and nucleic acid therapeutics —using RNA molecules to instruct cells to produce specific proteins or suppress harmful ones; monoclonal antibodies and biologics — laboratory-engineered molecules that bind to precise disease targets, such as cancer cells or viral protein; and AI-driven drug discovery which involves leveraging big data and machine learning to predict how molecules interact within the body.

Why does India need it?

Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular illness, and cancers account for nearly 65% of deaths in the country.
At the same time, the genetic diversity of India’s population makes it one of the most complex testing grounds for new therapies.
Sometimes, pharmaceuticals made and tested in foreign countries might not work effectively in the Indian context.
By leveraging India’s growing genomic research base, such as the IndiGen programme and GenomeIndia, treatments could be customised for local genetic profiles.
The Department of Biotechnology has identified precision biotherapeutics as one of the six focus areas under the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment policy.
Yet ethical and privacy concerns around genetic data remain unresolved. Without strict data protection and consent frameworks, genomic information could be misused.