Drugs

Bipartisan Bill on Drug-Gene Interactions

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to help “address drug-gene interactions” and to ensure that Americans have access to treatment personalized to their needs. Introduced by Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), the Right Drug Dose Now Act will “enable the use of evidence-based pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing to prevent adverse drug events and help ensure that patients receive medications tailored to their genetic makeup,” according to a release from the lawmakers. “PGx is the study of how genes affect the body’s response to certain medicines, which is critical to understanding how safe and effective a particular drug can be for each person,” they say.

The bill aims to update the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention by integrating advancements in pharmacogenomic research and testing, Swalwell and Crenshaw say. “It seeks to enhance electronic health records (EHRs) with pharmacogenomic information to improve patient care and reduce adverse drug events. The Right Drug Dose Now Act represents a significant step forward in integrating pharmacogenomic research into clinical practice. By updating the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention and enhancing EHR systems, this act aims to reduce adverse drug events, improve patient care, and pave the way for more personalized medicine approaches.”

In the release, Swalwell says adverse drug events are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. “By factoring genetic testing results into medical prescription decisions, we can have the knowledge to better treat a range of conditions while reducing adverse drug events,” he says. PGx will help medical professionals and patients be well informed to decide effective treatments for each clinical case.”

This legislation is supported by the Personalized Medicine Coalition, American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Invitae, Association for Managed Care Pharmacy, American Society of Pharmacovigilance, American Pharmacogenomics Association, Genomind, OneOme, GenXys, Sanford Imagenetics, YouScript, Aransica, AccessDx, 2bPrecise, and the GTMRx Institute.

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