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.