Utilizing Pharmacogenomics to Reduce Adverse Drug Events |Biomedgrid

Pharmacogenomic testing identifies genetic variants that help clinicians determine an individual's expected response to medications. Results from pharmacogenomic testing may provide valuable information on the expected response to a drug while on the other hand, results may also help explain adverse drug events (ADEs), identify patients who may require closer monitoring to avoid ADEs, and avoid specific drugs that are expected to cause ADEs in certain individuals. Many ADEs are believed to have a genetic component. Drugs administered at normal doses may interact with a gene that has a genetic variant affecting the drug's response. Pharmacogenomic testing can identify genetic variants that encode specific CYP enzymes (e.g., CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3As). It is estimated that drug-gene and drug-drug-gene interactions contribute to about one-third of potential major or substantial drug interactions that occur in patients. Pharmacogenomic testing can predict about 20 to 30 percent of ADEs and significantly reduce ADE associated deaths.