Shaping and constructing personalised medicine

This study explores how moral orders – context-specific frameworks of acceptable behaviour – shape agency and ethics in personalised medicine (PM). Using a discursive narrative approach, the study analyses international research programme initiatives, particularly those funded by the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine, to elucidate the moral orders influencing PM. The findings reveal three main storylines: joining forces and creating impact, hoping for a better tomorrow, and empowering diverse voices. These narratives position PM as a transformative force, a visionary tool, and a participative method. The first two storylines are shaped by a professional-centric moral order, while the third is influenced by an inclusion-centric moral order. These storylines give rise to new moral orders emphasising PM&s;s functional and clinical development and collaborative empowerment. The study highlights that moral orders are dynamic, shaped by the context of PM and constructed in discourse. It contributes to the medical humanities by illuminating the agency-related and ethical implications of organising PM research from the perspective of relevant actors.