Enterprise Pharmacogenetics: Improving Health through Medication Therapy Management
Quantigen is pleased to offer the latest generation of pharmacogenetic testing to at-risk populations as part of its Enterprise PGx efforts. Working closely with Coriell Life Sciences, an established leader in personalized medicine, Quantigen seeks to improve population-wide health outcomes by ensuring that individuals are being prescribed safe, effective drugs at the proper doses.
To function properly, most pharmaceutical compounds require specific gene products known collectively as “drug metabolism enzymes” or DMEs. These enzymes either activate a compound upon ingestion (thereby chemically readying it to do its job), or they inactivate a compound in preparation for excretion once that drug has performed its function.
To function properly, most pharmaceutical compounds require specific gene products known collectively as “drug metabolism enzymes” or DMEs. These enzymes either activate a compound upon ingestion, thereby readying it to do its job, or they inactivate a compound in preparation for excretion once that drug has performed its function. There are also gene products that help those drugs get to the right place in the body. However, natural variation in these genes translates to differences in how we respond to different drugs. For individuals with a particular variant, any drug dependent on the action of that gene’s DME product may prove ineffective or, in some cases, even toxic.
By testing for a comprehensive list of well-characterized genetic variants, individuals with a natural predisposition for altered drug metabolism can readily be identified. In turn, a careful review of that person’s current prescription regimen – examined in the context of his or her genetic profile – allows an experienced healthcare provider to offer appropriate replacement pharmaceuticals that will prove safe and effective. Dosing can also be adjusted for many medications, based again on the patient's genetics. Finally, drugs that are either redundant or potentially in conflict with one another (so-called “drug-drug interactions”) can also be modified.
The result? The patient enjoys better health outcomes, clearer explanations for why specific drugs have been prescribed, and fewer side effects – which together increase that individual’s willingness to adhere to his or her prescribed drug regimen. In turn, that person will feel better more of the time, make fewer trips to the doctor, and miss fewer days of work.
For more information on Coriell’s Corigen™ program for offering subscriber population analytics and associated cost savings, please visit