In 1999 Isis' (nasdaq: ISIS - news - people ) long-awaited drug for Crohn's disease, a severe intestinal disorder, failed to outperform a sugar pill in a pivotal test with 300 patients.
Instead of being handed a hit or miss pill, your doctor will do a test and then prescribe a drug that will work, because it will be specifically designed to suit your particular genes.
Sanofi is developing an anti-smoking, anti-obesity pill that doctors at the Cleveland Clinic plan to test to see if it prevents heart attacks and strokes.