Pharmacogenetics: Treatment based on DNA

3 minutes
Deux personnes regardent dans des microscopes

Your charming nine-year-old niece, let’s call her Jade, has been diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The medication she was prescribed suppresses her appetite without increasing her focus in class. Less than ideal! It’s difficult to find the right treatment the first time around. What if a clue to the solution could be found in Jade’s DNA?

This question can be answered by pharmacogenetics. Let’s look at this approach in more detail and how it could help everyone, from kids to adults.

What is pharmacogenetics?

Pharmacogenetics explores how our genes affect our response to drugs. It combines the study of genes (genetics) with the study of drugs (pharmacology).

Everyone responds differently to a medication. For some, the treatment may work, while for others it may cause adverse reactions.

Your DNA can help in predicting your response. For example, it can show if your metabolism absorbs certain molecules too rapidly or too slowly. This type of information can guide healthcare professionals to more effective and better tolerated treatments.

Does that mean my DNA decides how I respond to a treatment?

Partly. Your response to a treatment also depends on other factors such as age, weight, health condition, stress levels, the environment, etc.

With what conditions can pharmacogenetics help?

Pharmacogenetics can be used to guide treatment for ADHD and mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Why? The effectiveness of psychoactive drugs (those that affect the nervous system and mental health) varies significantly from person to person.

To avoid a series of trial and error, pharmacogenetic testing can help:

  • Eliminate the least effective molecules for an individual
  • Target a more useful family of drugs
  • Reduce side effects

On a macro level, this means healthcare savings: people who feel better use healthcare services less and try fewer drugs.

At what age should you be tested?

Since results can be used for various health conditions, testing can be useful for children as well as adults.

How is testing done?

Pharmacogenetic testing is often done on the basis of a saliva sample. The usual procedure:

  • You select one or more tests depending on the situation e.g. online via a lab.
  • The company sends you a kit for taking the sample, which is usually done in the home.
  • You return the sample as instructed by the company.
  • Several days later, you receive the results. With the company Biron (a Beneva partner), specialists personally explain these results to patients.

Are there any risks?

Many companies would love to access your DNA to sell you their products or services! Other organizations might use it to know your state of health and risks. But what’s more personal than your genes?

If you're considering taking a pharmacogenetic test, don’t opt for inexpensive foreign tests: they're not regulated. Contact a Canadian lab that adheres to a strict privacy policy. This way, your personal information will be safe. Only you and your physician will have access to the results.

Can expenses for pharmacogenetic testing be claimed from your insurer?

Yes some insurers, including Beneva, offer coverage for these tests in their group insurance plans.

Do you want to know if you have this coverage? Check your contract.

Precision medicine, but not magic

If carried out by trusted labs, pharmacogenetic testing represents a step forward to more personalized treatment.

It’s a science that is evolving rapidly on many fronts. It can improve treatment, in conjunction with other factors.

How did it work out for Jade?

Good news: Finally, a drug that helps her focus in class without suppressing her appetite. Pharmacogenetic testing enabled a solution to be found.

It was no miracle, but rather an assist by an awesome science.