Variable Drug Response: Genetic Evaluation

The field of pharmacogenomics attempts to evaluate the contribution of genetic variants to drug sensitivity and adverse effects. Over the past decade, the pharmacogenomics field has evolved from using candidate gene approaches to application of genome-wide approaches for the identification of genetic variants associated with drug responses. Understanding the underlying biology of these associations as well as their translation into clinical practice represents a major ongoing and future challenge. Key Concepts: A discussion on pharmacogenomics studies on drug response and adverse drug reactions. History of pharmacogenomics The ethnic component of pharmacogenomics The impact of genetics on drug response The impact of genetics on adverse drug reactions Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics Keywords: pharmacogenomics; personalised medicine; pharmacoethnicity; drug response; adverse drug reactions