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FDA Recommends Genotyping (But Not for Finding Your Soul Mate)

Jul 25, 2008

Over at PatentDocs, Kevin Noonan writes about a genotyping advisory that was included in a black box warning from FDA for abacavir, a GlaxoSmithKline drug used in HIV and AIDS treatment. Research has shown that patients with the HLA-B*5701 variant are significantly more likely to have a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to the drug. Here's an excerpt from the FDA's advisory: "All patients should be screened for the HLA-B*5701 allele before starting or restarting treatment with abacavir or abacavir-containing medications."

 

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