Prediction of Severe Adverse Drug Reactions Using Pharmacogenetic Biomarkers

Summary:Severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major issue for drug therapy because they can cause serious disorders and be life-threatening. Many severe ADRs appear to be idiosyncratic and unpredictable. Genetic factors may underlie susceptibility to severe ADRs, and identification of predisposing genotypes may improve drug therapy by facilitating prescreening of carriers for specific genetic biomarkers. In this review, we clarify the current status of ADRs in Japan from open ADR data sources. Then, we introduce recent progress in the field of pharmacogenetic biomarkers for severe cutaneous ADRs, liver injury, and statin-induced myopathy. Key challenges for discovery of predictable risk alleles for these severe ADRs are also discussed.