The role of genetic mutations in diseases is important yet not entirely understood. Less than one percent of FDA-approved drugs include information about genetic mutations on their labels.

That’s why many pharmaceutical companies are becoming increasingly interested in pharmacogenomics in 2022.

The investments in pharmacogenomics are focused on two critical areas. First, there is an interest in collecting genetically diverse population data. Once that has been collected, it will be necessary to link that data to deep phenomics data. The result will be genomic-phenomic data that will be critical for accelerating the development of pharmacogenomics.

It’s essential to recognize that pharmacogenomics has been studied for several years. However, it has primarily been studied in a research setting rather than as a practical application. In the coming years, more pharmaceutical companies will be interested in investing in pharmacogenomics as part of their drug development and discovery processes.

The Potential of Pharmacogenomics to Eliminate Unpredictable Outcomes
The primary goal of using pharmacogenomics in drug development is to identify genetic markers that can impact how a person reacts to drug therapy. This is because not everyone has the same response to drugs, and a person’s genetic makeup can significantly impact their outcomes.

Using pharmacogenomics during drug development will remove the potential for unpredictable responses to drug treatments that are caused by genetic polymorphisms that impact a person’s clearance, metabolism, and tolerance. In addition, by correlating drug targets with genetic changes, it will be easier to predict a new drug’s efficacy.

This is important to help physicians make more informed decisions about which drugs to prescribe to patients and at which dose based on each patient’s genetic profile. To be successful, though, it will be critical for pharmaceutical companies to accept the idea that drugs don’t usually work for all patients.

Understanding how people are genetically predisposed to have a higher risk of developing certain diseases might lead to new drug targets and, therefore, new classes of drugs that can prevent or delay the onset of particular diseases for those who are genetically predisposed.

This can have significant impacts on patients who may be able to delay the onset of a disease or evade it altogether and, thus, live a healthier life.

In addition, pharmaceutical companies should be able to develop more effective and safer drugs when they understand how a patient’s underlying genetics affects their response to drug therapy and treatment.

A New Era for Pharma?
So, does the increased interest in pharmacogenomics represent a new era for the pharma industry? It’s too early to say definitively “yes,” however, it does seem likely that taking a genetic approach to healthcare will impact how drugs are developed and prescribed to patients based on their genetic makeup.

One thing that seems clear is that it is no longer a question of “if” pharmaceutical companies will invest in pharmacogenomics but rather when and how. With the knowledge they gain from pharmacogenomics, pharmaceutical companies can transform disease-specific approvals into mutation-specific usage approvals based on genetics.

References
Murphy, M. P. (2000, October 10). Pharmacogenomics – a new paradigm for drug development. Drug Discovery World (DDW). Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.ddw-online.com/pharmacogenomics-a-new-paradigm-for-drug-development-1103-200010/

Oates, J. T., & Lopez, D. (2018, May 27). Pharmacogenetics: An important part of drug development with a focus on its application. International journal of biomedical investigation. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7255432/

Surendiran, A., Pradhan, S. C., & Adithan, C. (2008, August). Role of pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development. Indian journal of pharmacology. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792612/