Misconceptions of race in medicine have been a long-standing issue. Assumptions of fundamental differences in anatomy between individuals of different races can still be found today, which is concerning when considering that these misconceptions may influence current diagnosis and treatment. Perhaps less well-recognized, however, is that some of the treatment options themselves have been grounded in race, despite the accepted belief that there is no biological basis for it. In “Unlikely mix — Race, biology, and drugs”, Troy Duster discusses the development of “ethnic drugs”: those targeted to specific racial and ethnic markets. The two drugs he discusses, a vaccine against AIDS developed by VaxGen and a congestive heart failure drug known as BiDil, were remarketed as treatments for specific racial groups after finding unconvincing results in clinical trials of the entire population but slightly higher success rates when comparing among individual groups of color. This marketing strategy, as Duster portrays, is not based in sound statistical analysis nor biological reasoning, especially in considering that a number of health conditions that disproportionately affect racial minorities in the US are caused by social –and not biological– factors, including discrimination, that induce significant stress which can then produce biological effects of concern. Therefore, drawing attention to and regulating targeted marketing schemes such as racialized drugs may be essential for ensuring that appropriate medical care is delivered to individuals of all backgrounds across the US.