Pharmacogenetic Passport launched

This month, participants in the Lifelines NEXT cohort will be offered their pharmacogenetic passport. This passport shows how their DNA affects medication. In the coming year, 15,000 Lifelines participants will also be offered pharmacogenetic passports.

An individual’s genetics can influence how well specific medications work for them. Using genetic information to tailor medications can thus help avoid side effects due to overdosing or lack of effect due to underdosing. The pharmacogenetic passporting program launched this month within the Lifelines NEXT mother-baby cohort aims to explore how this information is received and understood and how it can help people and their healthcare providers to better tailor their medications.

Participants receive their pharmacogenetic passport in a special app: "Gen en Geneesmiddel" (Genes and Medications), which was created in collaboration between Synappz Digital Healthcare, the Department of Genetics and the UMCG's Innovation Center. The app explains how the participant’s DNA-profile affects their expected medication sensitivity. Users can download the profile and share it with their own healthcare provider to fine-tune their medication.

As project leader Jackie Dekens explains: 'In the project, we are investigating how participants feel about receiving information about their hereditary medication sensitivity. We also want to know whether the information is clear and complete, so that we can tailor it even better to people's needs in the future. Our goal is that all citizens in the Netherlands can eventually get a pharmacogenetic passport and, with appropriate individual dosing, receive tailored care tailored to their needs.'

Over the coming year, the project will expand as the passport is offered to 15,000 Lifelines cohort participants.

For more information see the UMCG press release.