Targeted Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and Which Treatments Use It

When you hear targeted therapy, a treatment approach that attacks specific molecules driving disease growth. Also known as precision medicine, it doesn’t just blast cells—it finds the exact weak spot in cancer or other conditions and strikes there. Unlike chemotherapy, which hits fast-growing cells no matter where they are, targeted therapy uses drugs designed to lock onto proteins, genes, or enzymes that are abnormal in diseased cells. This means less damage to healthy tissue and often fewer side effects.

This kind of treatment is most common in cancer treatment, using drugs that block signals telling tumors to grow. For example, some lung cancers have an EGFR mutation—targeted drugs like osimertinib go straight for that mutation. In melanoma, BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib stop a faulty protein from pushing cancer forward. Even in blood cancers like leukemia, drugs like imatinib target the BCR-ABL fusion gene. It’s not magic—it’s science built on years of genetic research.

Targeted therapy isn’t just for cancer. It’s also being used in autoimmune diseases, where drugs block specific immune signals that cause inflammation. Think of it like turning off a single faulty switch instead of flipping the whole circuit breaker. The big advantage? It works better for some people and doesn’t wreck your body the way older treatments do. But it only works if your disease has the right target. That’s why testing—like gene sequencing—is now a normal first step before starting treatment.

You’ll find that many of the posts here connect to this idea. Whether it’s comparing diabetes drugs like Forxiga that work on specific kidney pathways, or looking at how certain steroids reduce inflammation without flooding your system, the theme is the same: targeted therapy is about smart, precise action. Even in asthma, where budesonide formoterol targets airway inflammation directly, or in eye drops like FML Forte that focus on local ocular swelling, the principle holds. It’s not about brute force. It’s about knowing exactly what you’re fighting—and how to hit it.

What you’ll see in the articles below are real-world examples of this approach in action: drugs chosen because they match a patient’s biology, side effects managed because the treatment is smarter, and outcomes improved because the medicine doesn’t guess—it calculates. Whether you’re dealing with a chronic condition, exploring treatment options, or just trying to understand why your doctor ordered a genetic test, this collection gives you the clarity you need—no jargon, no fluff, just what matters.