Pharmacogenetic screening and therapeutic drugs.
BACKGROUND
Pharmacogenetics is the science of the influence of heredity on pharmacological response.


OBJECTIVE
The cost of severe adverse drug reactions in individuals has been estimated in the US alone to be in excess of US$4 billion. It has been argued that in a significant proportion of cases, the efficacy and toxicity profiles of drug therapy would be substantially improved in individuals if characteristics due to genetic variation were taken into account. Methods are now available, which make screening for susceptibility feasible.


CONCLUSIONS
There are several therapeutic areas in which screening may give rise to significant improvements in outcome with cost-benefits to both the individual and the community. However, there is currently a lack of data on which cost-benefit analysis can be based. The challenge is to provide this information for new drugs, and for drugs with established therapeutic roles.
Steimer
Werner
W
Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Munich University of Technology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstrasse 22, D-81675 Munich, Germany. Steimer@KlinChem.med.TU-Muenchen.de
Potter
Julia M
JM
D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 / Q000235:genetics; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6; D008780:Methyltransferases; C022745:thiopurine methyltransferase; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase