Evidence Base for Pharmacogenetic Tests Still Lacking, APA Workgroup Finds

There is still not enough evidence to support the use of pharmacogenetic tests in the treatment of depression, according toupdated recommendations from APA ’s Workgroup on Biomarkers and Novel Treatments. The recommendations were published inAJP in Advance.Pharmacogenetic tests analyze an individual ’s genes (obtained via blood, saliva, or cheek swabs) to find genetic variants that may influence how fast antidepressants are metabolized or how well they attach to their receptors. Using special algorithms, the tests then calculate the combined impact of all the variants and offer readouts of an tidepressants that might be effective and others to avoid.In 2018, APA ’s Council on Research organized a workgroup to examine the available data on pharmacogenetic tests for depression; the workgroupconcluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the widespread use of pharmacogenetic tools in clinical practice. Subsequently, both the FDA and International Society of Psychiatric Genetics voiced concerns about these tests.“Despite expert opinions, warnings, and policy statements regarding their limitations for predicting antidepressant treatment response, the popularity of [pharmacogenetic] testing products has grown, with at least 35 U.S. commercial entities providing them by 2020,” wrote the APA workgroup membe rs in their updated recommendations.The workgroup examined data from 11 pharmacogenetic clinical trials conducted between 2017 and 2022, as well as six meta-a...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: American Journal of Psychiatry antidepressant clinical trials Council on Research depression PGx pharmacogenetics position statement treatment response Source Type: research