Roche scientists shed new light on drug metabolism

Roche scientists have developed a new method for analysing the metabolism of a commonly prescribed drug. The research may provide a better understanding of how drugs are metabolised by individuals and could lead to more tailored medicines and dosing regimens.

The researchers developed a computational method for mouse genetic analysis to identify factors that regulate the metabolism of warfarin, a widely used anticoagulant. They discovered that this computational method can quickly identify genetic variants within drug metabolising enzymes which contribute to different drug responses in mice. This reveals valuable information about genes likely to play a role in human drug metabolism.

"This research and the computational method will help scientists and clinicians better understand the drugs they are developing, as well as the diseases they target," said Gary Peltz, head of Genetics and Genomics at Roche in Palo Alto, California. "It can also be used to identify genetic susceptibility factors affecting drug-induced toxicity."

The, findings published in Nature Biotechnology (Vol 24, No 5, 2006). The next step is to analyse other drugs of clinical importance, including one that induces liver toxicity.