Preparing for the revolution--pharmacogenomics and the clinical lab

Pharmacogenomics seeks to apply the field of genomics to improve the efficacy and safety of therapeutics. Sinmply put, pharmacogenomics is genetic-based testing to determine patient therapy. Interestingly, the clinical lab has rarely been discussed within the context of pharmacogenomics. Since clinical labs fill a key role in drug development it is important that they are included in pharmacogenomic discussions. Currently, clinical labs assist pharmaceutical sponsors in preclinical pharmacogenetic testing. In the future, clinical labs will be looked to for genetic test development and validation, and high-throughput genotyping of patients in clinical trials and routine testing. Clinical labs are an essential link in the chain of pharmacogenomic drug development, a fact which must be recognised by both the labs themselves and the industry as a whole.