Uppsala Reports Long Reads – Africa integral to evolution of pharmacogenomics research

As the cradle of modern humanity, the African continent is home
to populations with high levels of genetic diversity. But while
this diversity has implications for the safety and efficacy of
many drugs, African patients remain underrepresented in drug
studies. In fact, while more than 400 medicines have
pharmacogenetics information and public guidelines available,
only 15 have been studied in African populations. Thankfully
efforts to boost pharmacogenomics research in Africa are now
underway.

This episode is part of the Uppsala Reports Long Reads series –
the most topical stories from UMC’s pharmacovigilance magazine,
brought to you in audio format. Find the original article
here.

Tune in to find out:


How drug metabolism is affected by genetic variation

Why African patients urgently need genotype-guided drug
dosing 

How different research initiatives are trying to fill the
knowledge gap



Want to know more?
A review of the disease burden in Africa concluded
that a pharmacogenomics-based healthcare approach – where drug
choices and doses are optimised for each patient ­– would benefit
the genetically diverse African population.

Clinical pharmacogenetics studies conducted in African
populations have so far highlighted several pharmacogenetics
associations ­– but also gaps in knowledge.

The African Pharmacogenomics Consortium drives pharmacogenomics
research in Africa and aims to improve the safety of drugs for
use in African populations.

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health aims to enable the
safe and effective sharing of genomic and health-related data
between different research and healthcare institutions.

Finally, don’t forget to ­subscribe to the monthly Uppsala
Reports newsletter for free regular updates from the world of
pharmacovigilance.





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