Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics

The goal of pharmacogenomics is to provide the right dose of the right drug to the right patient. The vast majority of current drug response biomarkers can be classified into four general categories: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, disease pathway, and off-target effects. Several proof-of-concept examples of how pharmacogenomic information can be used to improve health outcomes exist. With improved mechanistic understanding of how drugs work (or do not), we can expect a growth in the number of actionable biomarkers to guide drug therapy. However, the path from discovery to implementation will be different for each drug and will depend on the clinical scenario. As with other areas of genomic medicine, pharmacogenomics will benefit from enhanced tools to assist providers in interpreting pharmacogenomic data in routine clinical care.

Duke Scholars

Author Deepak Voora Medicine, Cardiology