Chapter 23. Pharmacogenomics

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenetics can be broadly defined as a field concerned with genetic differences in drug response. Its primary aim is to discover genetic differences that affect drug action, including drug safety and efficacy. Most drugs prescribed today have an inherent problem that limits optimal efficacy: the inability to account for genetic differences in drug response among individuals. There are many examples of adverse drug reactions in the medical literature. Pharmacogenetics approaches can be utilized in different phases of the drug development process. The chapter discusses the aims and scope of pharmacogenetics. Application to drug discovery and clinical therapeutics are elaborated and an overview of drug targets and disease susceptibility genes is presented. Phase I and II drug metabolizing enzymes are discussed and different approaches of pharmacogenetic analysis are explained. The fast advent of genotyping, sequencing and gene expression technologies using gene chips, micro arrays and mass spectrometry is summarized and conclusions are drawn as to how pharmacogenetics will impact future drug discovery and development and ultimately improving on health care and medical practices.