How genetics could impact COVID-19 treatments

Date:
August 27, 2020
Source:
University of Minnesota
Summary:
A new study looked at how pharmacogenomics could improve the safety
and effectiveness of COVID-19 drug therapies.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Over the past few months, a number of drugs have been under investigation
to treat COVID-19 without well-established safety or data to support
these claims.

However, some of these unproven therapies may have underlying genetic
reasons for not being effective and resulting in fatal adverse effects
as found with hydroxychloroquine.


========================================================================== University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy faculty Pamala Jacobson and
Melanie Nicol, and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow Takuto Takahashi recently published a peer-reviewed study in Nature Genomic Medicine
about how individualization with pharmacogenomics -- the study of how
genes affect a person's response to drugs -- may improve the efficiency
and safety of these drugs.

"The application of pharmacogenomic tests can help eliminate
fatal hypersensitivity for patients prescribed certain drugs," said
Jacobson. "We asked the question if selecting a COVID-19 medication or the
dose using an individual's genetic information could improve effectiveness
or safety." "One of the biggest success stories of using pharmacogenomics
is with the HIV treatment abacavir," said Nicol. "Which is now a standard
test for potential treatment for those living with HIV and has virtually eliminated fatal hypersensitivity associated with that drug." The study
looked at a variety of literature for drug therapies for COVID-19 - -
including hydroxychloroquine, remedesivier, tocilizumab and steroids --
on PubMed. The researchers found that:
* there are several gene variants that alter how an individual's body
metabolizes and processes COVID-19 therapies and may increase the
risk of adverse effects;
* that the risk of taking these therapies is complex since patients
with
COVID-19 are usually taking multiple other medications and have
underlying conditions that affect the drug;
* and the data for the pharmacogenomics on COVID-19 is limited due
to the
early stages of the clinical trials investigating treatments.

"While we did not find direct evidence to support use of pharmacogenomic testing for COVID-19, we did identify many actionable genetic markers that
may have promise to improve efficacy and safety," said Jacobson. "Clinical studies in patients with COVID-19 are needed before routine testing can
be recommended." Nicol was funded by the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (K08AI134262) and Jacobson was funded by the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI140303).


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Minnesota. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Takuto Takahashi, Jasmine A. Luzum, Melanie R. Nicol, Pamala
A. Jacobson.

Pharmacogenomics of COVID-19 therapies. npj Genomic Medicine,
2020; 5 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41525-020-00143-y ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827122103.htm

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