Study Shows Genes Predict How Well Diabetes Drug Will Work for Type 2 Patients

How well a person with type 2
diabetes responds to a diabetes drug may well depend upon his or her genetic
make-up, according to a study published in the May issue of Diabetes Care.


The study found that people who carried certain genotypes responded less
favorably to rosiglitazone, a drug often prescribed for people with diabetes,
than carriers of other genotypes.


The study is the latest in a growing body of research focused on
pharmacogenetics, or how genetic factors influence a person's reaction to a
specific drug. An unrelated study recently set off controversy when it found
the heart drug BiDil was effective in treating African Americans after having
fared poorly when given to Caucasians, causing concern that pharmacogenetics
could lead to racially tailored drug marketing.


There are small, but sometimes important, differences in the structure of
the same gene among different people. That is, the genotypes are slightly
different. The study, by researchers in Korea, found that people with type 2
diabetes who had certain genotypes were less likely to show improvement in
blood glucose control (as measured by A1C levels), fasting glycemia and plasma
adiponectin levels (a marker for insulin sensitivity) after treatment with
rosiglitazone (marketed as Avandia), as compared to other people with type 2
diabetes. Subjects were treated with the medication for 12 weeks without
changing any of their previous medications.


"This study has nothing to do with race," said Dr. Eun Seok Kang, one of
the lead researchers on the study. "It shows us how important
pharmacogenetics could be in the future in helping us quickly and efficiently
determine the best treatment to give people. If something in our genetic
make-up offers clues about how well we will respond to particular medications,
this could be a tremendous asset to people with diabetes and other complex
diseases. Obviously knowing ahead of time which drugs will work best means we
can eliminate the entire trial-and-error process of drugs that don't work or
work poorly for some people. Clearly we have a lot more to learn before we
get to that stage, but this is an important first step."


Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the
leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into the nation's fifth
leading cause of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of heart
disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney
failure and non-traumatic amputations. For more information about diabetes,
visit the American Diabetes Association Web site diabetes or
call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).


American Diabetes Association

diabetes


View drug information on Avandia; BiDil.