The Prometheus in the headline does not refer to one of the greatest figures of Greek mythology—the Titan who defied Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods, to steal fire and give it to humans. For his defiance, this champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, was bound to a stake and his ever-generating liver eaten daily by a giant eagle. The most famous treatment of this story is Prometheus Bound, a play by 5th century BC Greek dramatist Aeschylus. Here, we are talking about Prometheus Laboratories, a manufacturer of treatments for cancer and gastrointestinal illnesses.
This San Diego, California-based company has been bound by the US Supreme Court, which has just ruled that it cannot patent a medical test that relies on correlations between drug dosages and treatment, thus ending a crucial legal battle that started in 2004. Prometheus was last year bought by Nestle, the world’s largest food company, presumably to give a fillip to its focus on personalised nutrition.
What the Prometheus process does is monitor a patient’s blood to determine the best dosage for a drug to treat gastrointestinal disorders and autoimmune illnesses. Doctors are told to measure the drug level in the patient’s body and adjust the dosage of the synthetic thiopurine compounds used to treat these diseases. Prometheus’s diagnostic kits, covered by two patents, ensure the best outcome with the least side effects, according to the company.