Global pharmacogenomics: Where is the research taking us?

Abstract

Pharmacogenomics knowledge and technologies, which couple genomics information with pharmaceutical drug response, have been promised to revolutionise both drug development and prescription. One notable promise of pharmacogenomics is the potential to contribute to some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely to increase justice in global health by incentivising public research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs for populations (e.g., in low- and middle-income countries) that have been neglected by the traditional drug development model. To evaluate the credibility of this promise, we examined - both quantitatively and qualitatively - those scientific papers indexed in PubMed and published between 1997 and 2010, with a view to describing the major orientations and tendencies characterising the development of pharmacogenomics research. Our results demonstrate that pharmacogenomics research has focused on three major non-communicable categories of disease: cancer, depression and other psychological disorders and cardiovascular and coronary heart disease. Few publications - and thus, by extension, little scientific interest - concerned orphan diseases, infectious diseases or maternal health, indicating that pharmacogenomics research over the last decade has replicated the well-known 90/10 ratio in drug development. As such, we argue that research in the field of pharmacogenomics has failed in its promise to contribute to the MDGs by reducing global health inequalities.

Perceptions of students in health and molecular life sciences regarding pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine

“…In order to ensure the benefits of personalized diagnosis and treatment, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has listed about 140 drugs with pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic (PG) information included in their labeling [ 9 , 11 ]. Importantly, the identification of genetic variants by PG tests increases the prediction regarding drug efficacy and adverse reactions [ 10 , 12 , 13 ]. The guidelines provided by the Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase (PharmGKB at https://www.pharmgkb.org /) and the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Implementation Consortium (CPIC at https://cpicpgx.org /) are important educational and clinical resources for the healthcare professionals interested in introducing PG tests in their patient care.…”

Textbook of Personalized Medicine

“…A review of the literature indicates that pharmacogenomic research has focused mainly on non-communicable disease such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders but paid little attention to infections and orphan diseases (Olivier and Williams-Jones 2014 ). Thus research in the fi eld of pharmacogenomics has failed in its promise to contribute to the MDGs by reducing global health inequalities.…”

Gene therapy in cardiovascular diseases: A review of recent updates

“…[1][2][3] The CVD includes diseases in heart, coronary circulation, and the network of blood vessels. 5,6 Therefore, it is obviously understandable that there is an urgent requirement for alternative treatment of CVD. 5,6 Therefore, it is obviously understandable that there is an urgent requirement for alternative treatment of CVD.…”

“…The CVD includes diseases in heart, coronary circulation, and the network of blood vessels . Despite the new cardiac surgery techniques and pharmacotherapies the mortality and morbidity of CVD have decreased and it is one of the most important causes of death . Therefore, it is obviously understandable that there is an urgent requirement for alternative treatment of CVD.…”

“…4 Despite the new cardiac surgery techniques and pharmacotherapies the mortality and morbidity of CVD have decreased and it is one of the most important causes of death. 5,6 Therefore, it is obviously understandable that there is an urgent requirement for alternative treatment of CVD. Gene therapy is a technique of insertion and expression of a therapeutic gene in target cells with genetic disorders.…”