Drug reaction testing

Drug reaction testing

Drug reaction testing uses a genetic test to predict how a particular person will respond to various prescription and non-prescription medications. It checks for genes that code for specific liver enzymes which activate, deactivate, or are influenced by various drugs.

There are currently four genetic markers commonly tested for: 2D6, 2C9, 2C19, and 1A2.

This testing has been done for some time by drug companies working on new drugs, but is relatively newly available to the general public. Strattera is the first drug to mention the test in the official documentation, although it doesn't specifically recommend that patients get the test before taking the medication.

There are four possible categories for each marker: poor metabolizer, intermediate metabolizer, extensive metabolizer, or ultra-extensive metabolizer. Different testing companies may call these by different names. Extensive metabolizers (that is, people who are extensive metabolizers of a given type) are the most common, and are the type of people for which drugs are designed. Up to 7% of Caucasians are poor metabolizers of drugs metabolized by the CYP2D6 enzyme.[1]

People who can't metabolize a drug will require a much lower dose than is recommended by the manufacturer, and those who metabolize it quickly may require a higher dose. Some drugs, such as codeine, will not be effective in people without the requisite enzymes to activate them.

People who are poor metabolizers of a drug may overdose while taking less than the recommended dose.

See also

References and End Notes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Drug testing (disambiguation) — Drug testing may refer to: Drug test Drug Testing and Analysis (journal) Equine drug testing Drug reaction testing This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an …   Wikipedia

  • drug — drug1 /drug/, n., v., drugged, drugging. n. 1. Pharm. a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well being. 2. (in federal law) a. any substance… …   Universalium

  • Drug — /droog/, n. Zoroastrianism. the cosmic principle of disorder and falsehood. Cf. Asha. [ < Avestan drauga] * * * I Any chemical agent that affects the function of living things. Some, including antibiotics, stimulants, tranquilizers,… …   Universalium

  • reaction — 1. The response of a muscle or other living tissue or organism to a stimulus. 2. The color change effected in litmus and certain other organic pigments by contact with substances such as acids or alkalies; also the property that such substances… …   Medical dictionary

  • Antiretroviral drug — HAART redirects here. For UK estate agency Haart, see Spicerhaart. Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the …   Wikipedia

  • Animal testing — A white Wistar lab rat Description Around 50–100 million vertebrate animals are used in experiments annually. Subjects Animal testing, scien …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of the Food and Drug Administration — Numerous governmental and non governmental organizations have criticized the U. S. Food and Drug Administration of either over or under regulation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-obesity drug — Anti obesity drugs or weight loss drugs refer to all pharmacological agents that reduce or control weight. These drugs alter one of the fundamental processes of the human body, weight regulation, by either altering appetite or metabolism.The main …   Wikipedia

  • Alcohol flush reaction — An Asian man experiences alcohol flush reaction. Alcohol flush reaction or Oriental Flushing Syndrome [1] (colloquially referred to as Asian Flush, Asian Turn Red Syndrome, Asian Red, Asian Glow, or Lash Rash) is a condition in which the face… …   Wikipedia

  • Salicylate testing — is a category of drug testing that is focused on detecting salicylates such as acetysalicylic acid for either biochemical or medical purposes. Analytical Salicylates can be identified by GC/MS ( [http://www.chem.bham.ac.uk/schools/aspirin/ms.htm… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”