"I think we're experiencing a renewed optimism right now - we're going to make a real difference in the diseases of our time," said Robert J. Hugin, Executive Chairman at Celgene.
Last week, PhRMA hosted a dialogue focused on the future of genomics, and specifically how genetic mapping will continue to empower leading scientific minds to discover breakthrough treatments.
During a conversation with CNBC's Meg Tirrell, Hugin discussed the new treatment options that have been made possible through genomic medicine. "We have thousands of new drugs in development that would not have been possible without the fundamental science of mapping of the human genome," said Hugin. When asked about how this work is directly impacting the patients of today, Hugin points to the benefits he's seen firsthand. "Right now, there are more than 100 approved drugs that involve genomic labeling. Because of these new treatment options, disease is being treated more effectively, and patients are being kept safer."
Although Hugin sees great progress being made through genomics, he emphasizes the importance of continuing to break down patient populations to better understand treatment options. "There is not one breast cancer, there are hundreds," Hugin says. "The ability to redefine disease as we know it, and then attack it in its fundamental genomic identification–that is progress."