Physicians have long been aware of the subtle differences between patients and their responses to medications. The recognition that a part of this variation is inherited, and therefore predictable, created the field of pharmacogenetics several years ago.
Pharmacogenetics studies the influence of genetic variation on drug response. Genetic variation is considered an important source of variability in drug response and contributes to 25% – 50% of inappropriate drug responses. It has the potential to negatively impact effectiveness of drug therapy (‘drug efficacy’) and increases the risk for dangerous side effects, termed adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This e-book Luminex gives an overview of pharmacogenetics, and genetic variation and drug efficacy…