Pharmacogenomics examines genetic variations that influence individual drug responses. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can predict good, bad, or no response to a drug. DNA microarrays efficiently identify SNPs to personalize treatment. This allows excluding non-responsive patients from trials, improving drug safety and efficacy. Currently, pharmacogenomics guides cancer treatment and medications metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes to prevent overdosing. Benefits include tailored therapy and safer drugs, though complexity challenges wide implementation.

1. ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL:
THE PROMISE OF
PHARMACOGENOMICS

2. INTRODUCTION
• Pharmacogenomics is a
science that examines the
inherited variations in genes
that dictate drug response
and explores the ways these
variations can be used to
predict whether a patient
will have a good response to
a drug, a bad response to a
drug, or no response at all.

3. Gene Variations And Drug Response
• SNPs (pronounced "snips"),
can be used as a diagnostic
tool to predict a person's
drug response.
• A person's DNA is
sequenced for the presence
of specific SNPs.
• DNA microarrays (or DNA
chips) make it possible for
doctors to examine their
patients for the presence of
specific SNPs quickly and
affordably.

4. Pharmacogenomics and Drug
Development
• Pharmaceutical companies
could exclude from clinical
trials those people whose
pharmacogenomic screening
would show that the drug
being tested would be
harmful
• Clinical trials become
smaller and cost effective.
• Increase a physician's
confidence in prescribing
the drug and the patient's
confidence in taking the
drug,

5. Is pharmacogenomics in use today?
• The cytochrome P450
(CYP) family of liver
enzymes is responsible for
breaking down more than 30
different classes of drugs.
• Less active or inactive
forms of CYP enzymes that
are unable to break down
and efficiently eliminate
drugs from the body can
cause drug overdose in
patients.

6. Anticipated benefits of
pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacogenomics has the
potential to provide tailored
drug therapy based on
genetically determined
variation in effectiveness
and side effects.
• More powerful medicines
• Better, safer drugs the first
time
• More accurate methods of
determining appropriate
drug dosages

7. RECENT STUDIES
• Pharmacogenomics has also been used for cancer
treatment.

8. LIMITATIONS
• Complexity of finding gene variations that affect drug
response
• Complexity of finding gene variations that affect drug
response
• Disincentives for drug companies to make multiple
pharmacogenomic products
• Educating healthcare providers

9. REFRENCES
• http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Geno
me/medicine/pharma.shtml
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/About/primer/pharm.ht
ml
• http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-
resources/medical-science/genetics-molecular-
medicine/current-topics/pharmacogenomics.page
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12618310?
dopt=Abstract