THE NEW GENETICS REVOLUTION 

 

A silver-bullet cancer cure is still elusive. But lab-coated armies of researchers are making incredible progress on the next best thing: gene therapies that kill tumors.

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Small biotech startups and pharmaceuticals giants alike are running thousands of clinical trials of genetic therapies the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had greenlit. Unlike standard chemo, radiation, and surgery, they enlist the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer.

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For investors, the companies leading this game-changing health trend offer great opportunities to boost your private wealth and public health.

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The genetics revolution is part of a new wave in healthcare called “precision medicine.” The idea is to customize treatments based on a patient’s genetics, as opposed to standard one-size-fits-all therapies.

 

One way to get in on the action: Add a biotech exchange-traded fund (ETF) to your portfolio.

 

The Ark Genomic Revolution Multi -Sector ETF (NYSE: ARKG) is a great bet. The fund holds many gene-based biotech stocks poised for breakout gains. ARKG’s managers project that by 2022, it’ll cost less than $100 for people to have their entire genome mapped. By that time 170 million people will have done it.

 

A second play: the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSE: XBI), which includes a number of small startups and larger companies that could score big as a result of a positive new clinical trail result or FDA approval of a new drug or treatment.

 

It’s a bit of a cliché, but it is true that health and wealth are closely linked – you really can’t enjoy one without the other. And the biotech revolution will give you the chance to do well financially by also doing good from a health perspective.