Our portfolio company Assurex Health, announced recently the publication of a groundbreaking analysis of pharmacogenomic data in the International Review of Psychiatry.
The publication strongly validates the premise that the clinical use of genomic testing to help predict patient response to psychiatric medications significantly improves treatment outcomes. This is a key milestone in the continuing discussions within the Psychiatric community about the value of laboratory testing in helping physicians treat patients with psychiatric disorders.
The scientific premise of Assurex Health is the same as the basic theory behind personalized medicine – different individuals will have different reactions to drugs based on their genomic makeup. The very powerful FDA approved drugs used in the practice of psychiatry are especially sensitive to individual metabolic processes, which are different in different individuals based on their genetic makeup. With the Assurex test, it is now possible to measure and understand how an individual will react to a particular drug, and this knowledge can be used directly by Psychiatrists in the selection of the right drug and right dosage for each patient. The multiple clinical trials in this paper clearly demonstrate that understanding variations in these same genes leads to better treatment decisions and better patient outcomes.
DNA sequence variations are at the heart of the matter. A patient's genetic profile can be easily processed in the Assurex Health laboratories, and a report is sent by web services to the doctor, with details of the genetic predispositions of the patient and the types of reactions to various drugs that the doctor may consider. This test is being used thousands of times a month to help psychiatrists better treat patients.
We are very excited about the continuing growth of Assurex Health, and congratulate the scientific team on the publication of this seminal paper.