Healthcare experts call for widespread use of pharmacogenetic testing to curb ADRs

Mumbai, July 29, 2022:

Healthcare experts have called for widespread use of pharmacogenetic/ pharmacogenomics testing to prevent adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in patients.

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect the body’s response to drugs. It answers the question of how an individual’s genetic background is associated with drug resistance, therapeutic failure, ADRs and how therapy strategy can be modified for a certain person to achieve benefit.
 
“Pharmacogenetic testing can hugely benefit doctors and patients by predicting efficacy, choice and dosage of medications on an individual basis. The same medicine affects different individuals differently. Prior information on an individual's drug response pre-administration would save time, healthcare cost and efforts. The scientific evidence backed knowledge on individual drug response would be a boon for physicians. Pharmacogenomics/pharmacogenetic testing is an emerging tool for doctors for risk free and efficient treatment,” said Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist and joint managing director, Indus Health Plus.
 
He stressed on the need to create awareness among doctors about pharmacogenetic testing which would allow them to take better clinical decisions, alert their patients on time and ensure a speedy recovery. It will minimise the risk of ADRs in patients, he opined.
 
“Whenever a drug is taken, It is processed within the body (ak.a drug metabolism) that is very important for the drug's action and response. Depending upon an individual's genetic metabolism some drugs are converted into less active form whereas in some cases, an inactive drug form is converted to active form which ultimately decides the therapeutic outcome. It is important that the active form of a drug is stable in the particular time frame within the body to exhibit its desired response. In a few human beings, the drug is metabolized too quickly or too slowly or not at all. Possibly, either the drug may not produce its intended effect, or it may remain in the body for a long time, resulting in side effects or ADRs. Therefore, such individuals may experience different side effects or respond differently to the same medications. As a result, a drug that is effective for one person may be less effective for another or a drug that is safe for one person may be toxic for another person at the same dosage. This variability in the drug reaction can be because of the distinction in genetic constitutions of individuals, along with various other factors like age, gender, comorbidities, lifestyle, etc. Genetic variants that code for drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug targets, drug transporters, or proteins involved in immune response may influence the processing of most drugs in the body. The pharmacogenomics testing becomes a great tool for physicians in such cases to make the proper decision regarding each non-trivial patient that does not respond to therapy,” stated joint managing director, Indus Health Plus.
 
“Although pharmacogenomics is new to the Indian medical ecosystem, it has made great strides around the world. In India, it has shown a promising future that will help transform healthcare and the treatment process in general. Although pharmacogenomic testing is currently used for only a few drugs, the field is growing very rapidly. A better understanding of how pharmacogenomics can guide doctors and physicians and help them protect your health and improve your treatment is becoming increasingly important,” added Naikawadi. PharmaBiz