Quest Diagnostics, Madison, NJ, is offering a new lab-developed genetic test to aid the delivery of personalized opioid pain-relieving treatment.
Quest says it is believed to be the first clinical lab to offer testing for variants in all cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genes known to influence the CYP450 enzyme system, which affects metabolism of opioids and other medications.
The test is based in part on gene variants owned by Transgenomic Inc, Omaha, Neb, through a nonexclusive licensing agreement between the two companies. Quest Diagnostics developed, validated and now offers the test service through its advanced Nichols Institute facility in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Additional terms were not disclosed.
More than 100 million Americans in the United States suffer from chronic pain. Opioids, which include oxycodone and methadone, are widely used in the management of moderate to severe pain. While opioids are the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States, they are also implicated in high rates of drug addiction and overdose.
Research demonstrates that genetic testing to identify gene variants that mediate the CYP450 enzyme system can help physicians predict the rate of opioid drug metabolism. With this information, physicians can decide to adjust doses or administer other therapies in order to improve the prospect for effective pain relief and reduce the likelihood of drug toxicity, drug interactions and other adverse outcomes.
[Source: Quest Diagnostics]
