Pharmacogenetics
Every person is unique – and so is their response to medications. Pharmacogenetics studies how our genes influence the effects of drugs, enabling personalized medication.
Explanation
Our genetics influence the efficacy and safety of medications
Genetic differences among patients are mostly not taken into account in today’s one-size-fits-all approach to medication therapy.
Therefore, it is common for a medication to have the desired therapeutic effect for one patient, while for another patient, it may lead to treatment failure or unwanted side effects.
PHARMA • CO • GENETICS
Effect of medications • taking into account • genetic characteristics
What is pharmacogenetics?
Accelerated or decelerated / Faster or slower metabolism may reduce efficacy or increase the risk of side effects.
How do genes affect the effect of drugs?
Since when has pharmacogenetics existed?
The term pharmacogenetics was coined in 1959 by Friedrich Vogel, who laid the foundation for a new field of research and personalized medication.
What is analysed in pharmacogenetics?
A pharmacogenetic test examines selected genes for variants that influence the metabolism of specific medications.
Pharmacogenetics Enables Personalized Medication
Which medical indications does pharmacogenetics play a role for?
Pharmacogenetics plays an important role in a large number of indications. The PGXperts System contains evidence-based data on more than 150 drugs that are influenced by genetics (gene-drug pair) and can be used for various indications.
How does PGx help the attending physician?
In this way, risks can be avoided even before a drug is taken and side effects that have already occurred can be identified and reduced. This complements existing diagnostic procedures as a decision-making aid and follows the approach of personalized medicine.
What types of metabolization are there?
If a medication is metabolized too quickly, the drug concentration in the blood may be too low, causing the standard dosage to fail to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. Conversely, reduced metabolism can lead to overdosing and side effects.
How does personalized medication work?
Personalized Medication
Offers Numerous Benefits
Increased therapeutic success
Increased response rate and reduced risk of adverse drug reactions
Reduction of costs
Reduction of direct and indirect treatment costs
Early detection
Identifying risks of a complex medication before treatment
Lifelong use benefits for patients
One-time examination for patients & lifelong use for personalized medication
Relief for medical professionals
Fewer hospital admissions and doctor visits due to side effects and medication errors
End-to-end solutions for personalized medication
PGxInterpretation
Since when has pharmacogenetics existed?
The decoding of the genome in 2003 was a milestone for personalized medicine. Technological advances and reduced costs in gene analysis and data processing now make it possible to incorporate evidence-based research findings into decisions on medication.
What is analysed in pharmacogenetics?
A pharmacogenetic test is conducted using DNA, which can be obtained from either a blood or saliva sample. Specific regions of the DNA are examined for genetic variations known as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Only those SNPs are analyzed for which extensive studies provide strong evidence regarding their impact on the metabolism of specific medications.
From a clinical point of view, CYP2B6, CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 are particularly relevant, as they metabolize between 70 and 90% of the drugs used *.