Metabolism and CLinical Effects of Psychotropic Drugs - From molecular genetics to patient care

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: BMH4960291

Project closed

Start date 1 April 1996

End date 31 March 1999

Funded under

• Specific research, technological development and demonstration programme in the field of biomedicine and health, 1994-1998

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

No data

Coordinated by

Karolinska Institute
Sweden

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Exploitable results

Metabolism and Clinical Effects of Psychotropic Drugs

We have investigated the molecular genetic basis as well as environmental factors of importance for this variation. The cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6 is polymorphine and there are poor metabolisers who are unable to metabolised antidepressants and neuroleptic drugs. Such patients require decreased doses to avoid side effects. Our research group has made the original finding that 1-2% of Swedes and 7-10% in Italy and Spain are ultra-rapid metabolisers due to the CYP2D6 gene duplication/amplification. Such patients require increased doses for optimal treatment. Methods for DNA based genotyping and phenotyping have been developed and may be used in different populations to optimize the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The results have been published in international scientific journals and are thus public. This information should be used by health authorities to improve the clinical use of psychotropic drugs. This knowledge is today also used by the pharmaceutical industry to improve drug development and safety. The partners of this research program have no intention to exploit the results, but to improve the basic knowledge to be used to improve patient care. Methods to adjust dosage of psychotropic drugs in individual patients have been developed. This will result in higher efficacy of the treatment while avoiding undesirable side effects. It is based on genotyping of allelic variants, phenotyping with probe drugs and actual measurement of drugs in blood. This research has resulted in 107 separate reports most of which have already been published in international scientific journals. These publications have been quoted many times by other researchers in their publications.