New haplotypes available on PharmGKB Haplotypes for the UGT1A3, CYP2F1 and CHRNA5 genes are now available on www.pharmgkb.org View a list of all the genes with haplotypes available on PharmGKB.
CYP2C19 and clopidogrel therapy CPIC guideline endorsed by the ASHP The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has endorsed the CPIC guidelines for CYP2C19 genotype and clopidogrel therapy, published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. In their report, they highlight that the guidelines address an important need for information on the clinical application of pharmacogenomic testing and appreciate that the recommendations
Curators' Favorite Papers The current Curators' Favorite Papers are about rare variants, which are part of the genetic diversity within and among populations. Keinan and Clark explain how the recent explosive human population growth has resulted in an excess of rare genetic variants [PMID: 22582263]. The article by Nelson et al. focuses
FDA approves new ERBB2 targeted drug The FDA approved a new drug for HER2 (ERBB2) positive breast cancer (June 8, 2012). Pertuzumab (Perjeta) is an antibody that targets a different epitope than trastuzumab (Herceptin), the first HER2 targeted antibody drug. The two drugs can therefore be combined to improve efficacy, and this was shown quite successfully
New PGRN Featured Project and PI for the Month of June The PGRN website is featuring a new project and investigator of the month from the PPII (Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Drug Metabolizing Enzymes) group. For detailed information, please visit the PGRN website.
CYP2C8 haplotype table available The most recent addition to the PharmGKB set of haplotype tables is for CYP2C8 (cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily C, polypeptide 8 ). The main source for this table was the The Human Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Allele Nomenclature Database . The PharmGKB haplotype tables, each located on a tab of the relevant
Watch the Pharmacogenomics and PharmGKB video tutorial Dr. Katrin Sangkuhl is a scientific curator at PharmGKB, the online pharmacogenomics knowledge base (www.pharmgkb.org). In this tutorial, Dr. Sangkuhl gives an introduction to the topic of pharmacogenomics - the impact of genetics on drug response. She reviews several pharmacogenetics examples, including codeine/CYP2D6 and clopidogrel/CYP2C19, and
Curators Favorite Papers The current Curators Favorite Papers are about the pharmacogenetics of statins. The review by Postmus et al. discusses achievements, whole-genome analyses and future perspectives [PMID: 22594514]. Van der Baan et al. investigate the value of pharmacogenetic testing in predicting statin response using data from the REGRESS trail [PMID: 22547143]. The
CPIC publishes guideline for SLCO1B1 and simvastatin-induced myopathy Statins are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world to treat hypercholesterolemia and prevent cardiovascular diseases. They effectively lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase, the rate limiting enzyme involved in cholesterol formation. Though well tolerated in general, statins can lead to myopathy with symptoms ranging from
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and treatment responses The human VDR protein is trans-acting transcriptional factor. It binds the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) to modulate many biological activities of the neural, immune and endocrine systems. Poon et al. have recently written an updated Very Important Pharmacogene (VIP) Summary for VDR gene that is published