Plavix®, a prescription drug that helps prevent and treat blood clots, is one of the world’s top-selling medications. According to its manufacturer, doctors have prescribed it to more than 100 million people.Yet, genetics shows, popularity doesn’t always mean that a drug works for everyone.
And when it comes to Plavix®, that fact has some scientists working to see how genetic testing can provide better answers for people who take this medication.
Some people, because of their genetic makeup, don’t process Plavix® as effectively as others, leaving them vulnerable to dangerous blood clotting problems. In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revised the drug label on Plavix® (also known by its generic name clopidogrel), emphasizing that people who carry certain genetic variants may not benefit fully from the drug. The FDA announcement also stressed that testing is available for a gene linked to a reduced response to Plavix®.
Since the vast majority of people who’ve taken Plavix® have never undergone genetic testing, researchers are now analyzing the ways that genetic insights can help.
In one current study, scientists at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are testing heart patients to see whether they carry the genetic trait linked to reduced Plavix® response. For those who carry the variant, the doctors will try doubling their dose of the drug.
At Navigenics, we recently launched a new Medications service, which provides personalized genetic information to help you understand which prescription drugs work best for you. Plavix® (using the genetic variant discussed by the FDA) is one of 12 medications analyzed in this feature of our service.
It’s important to know that learning your genetic makeup related to Plavix® isn’t enough. Only you and your doctor, working together, can use your genetic results to decide if the drug is right for you or what your dose should be. But as more becomes known about Plavix® and personal genetics, we’re looking forward to being part of the discussion. If you’ve got Plavix® or other Medications results from Navigenics, let us how they’ve worked for you.