Clinical Utility of Pharmacogenomics of Psychotropic Medications

September 18, 2023 updated by: Kamalika Roy, Oregon Health and Science University

While the scientific understanding of pharmacogenomics is quickly accelerating, its translation to clinical decision-making (especially in psychiatric practice) has progressed more slowly. In an effort to begin to bridge this translational gap, genetic testing has been developed for various and commonly existing psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and pain syndromes to improve the safety of prescribing psychotropic medications for these disorders. This genetic testing incudes several pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic genetic factors, such as the cytochrome P450 1A2 gene (CYP1A2); the cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) gene; P450 2D6 gene (CYP2D6); the cytochrome P450 2C9 gene (CYP2C9); the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene (CYP2C19); uridine-glucoronyl-transferase 2B15 (UGT2B15) gene; the serotonin transporter gene (Solute Carrier Family 6 Member; SLC6A4); p-glycoprotein ( ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1; ABCB1) transporter gene; the serotonin 2A receptor gene (HTR2A); the serotonin 2C receptor (HTR2C) gene; serotonin 1a receptor (5HT1a) gene; dopamine 1 receptor (DRD1) gene; dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) gene; adrenergic alpha-2A receptor (alpha-2A) gene; opioid mu (opioid receptor mu 1; OPRM1) receptor gene; dopamine synthesis gene (ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1; ANKK1); dopamine metabolizing enzyme [Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT]) gene; kainite receptor gene (glutamate ionotropic receptor kainate type subunit 4; GRIK4); folate (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; MTHFR) gene; sodium channels (sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2; SCN2A) gene.

The interpretive report is based on copies of these multiple informative genes. The investigators are proposing to utilize comprehensive genetic testing to select more genetically-informed psychotropic medications to enhance their effectiveness in real-world patients with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar affective disorder as well as pain in a state hospital setting. The investigators plan to use genetic testing offered by Admera® for major classes of psychotropic medications. The investigators hypothesize that genetic testing will demonstrate clinical benefits by improving state hospital patients' response and decreasing their adverse effects. The proposed study will be conducted in a total sample of 60 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar affective disorder as well as pain at the Oregon State Hospital, Salem Oregon over a total period of 24 months

Study Overview

Status

Withdrawn

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

There is considerable inter-individual variability in therapeutic drug response, required dosage and adverse effects in psychotropic treatment. Few patients experience a remission of their illness when initially treated with any medications.1,2 In those who remain symptomatic, less than half will experience a significant improvement with a change in medication or with the addition of an alternative psychotropic medication.2 Variation in drug response is complex and is dependent on a number of factors, including diagnostic accuracy, the potential for drug-drug interactions, age, gender, renal and hepatic functioning, medical and psychiatric comorbidity, nutritional status, coincident substance use, genomic and related downstream translational factors and patient compliance. In recent studies examining the use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and pain medications substantial proportions of study patients discontinue treatment as a consequence of adverse effects or symptom relapse.3-5 Similarly in community practice settings, nearly half of the patients make no follow-up visits, and only a fourth return to pursue regular primary treatment.6,7 Prolonged times to response whether caused by adverse effects or by other factors are associated with substantial increased risk for morbidity or mortality. Pharmacogenomic testing is expected to improve response, as well as minimize the likelihood of adverse effects associated with patient nonadherence and extended morbidity.8-10 While the scientific understanding of pharmacogenomics is quickly accelerating, its translation to clinical decision-making in practice has progressed more slowly.11,12 In an effort to begin to bridge this translational gap, a pharmacogenomic/pharmacogenetic testing has been developed for various and commonly existing psychiatric disorders to improve the safety of prescribing medications. This pharmacogenomic-based interpretive report is based on genotyping both copies of multiple informative genes, which are: the cytochrome P450 1A2 gene (CYP1A2); the cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) gene; P450 2D6 gene (CYP2D6); the cytochrome P450 2C9 gene (CYP2C9); the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene (CYP2C19); uridine-glucoronyl-transferase 2B15 (UGT2B15) gene; the serotonin transporter gene (Solute Carrier Family 6 Member; SLC6A4); p-glycoprotein ( ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1; ABCB1) transporter gene; the serotonin 2A receptor gene (HTR2A); the serotonin 2C receptor (HTR2C) gene; serotonin 1a receptor (5HT1a) gene; dopamine 1 receptor (DRD1) gene; dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) gene; adrenergic alpha-2A receptor (alpha-2A) gene; opioid mu (opioid receptor mu 1; OPRM1) receptor gene; dopamine synthesis gene (ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1; ANKK1); dopamine metabolizing enzyme [Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT]) gene; kainite receptor gene (glutamate ionotropic receptor kainate type subunit 4; GRIK4); folate (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; MTHFR) gene; sodium channels (sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2; SCN2A) gene.

The cytochrome P450 enzymes' genes code for the enzymes that are responsible for metabolism of most antipsychotic, antidepressant and pain medications. The UGT2B15 is for benzodiazepine metabolism. The COMT gene is for dopamine metabolism and is relevant for cognitive function, depression and smoking. The SLC6A4 and the 5HT2A have been associated with differential treatment response to specific medications. The 5HT2C is for weight gain; the ABCB1 gene is for pain; some psychotropics such as risperidone; the dopamine 2 (D2) receptor gene for psychotropic medications, weight gain and pain medications; and the opioid mu (OPRM1) receptor gene for weight and pain; Sodium channels (SCN2A) gene for autism, seizures and bipolar disorder; GRIK4 gene is for kainite receptor involvement with rapidly acting antidepressants, pain, dysphoria, and potentially psychotropic medications' ANKK1 is for smoking, weight management, and bipolar disorder. The MHTFR is for antidepressants; D1 is for psychotropic response.

Such genetic testing has a significant potential to reduce healthcare costs through increased efficacy and tolerability of antidepressant medications as well as medication adherence. However, there is a relative lack of such efforts with psychotropic medications (APMs) in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder. This is despite significant room for improvement in efficacy and tolerability of currently available drugs in such patients. Consequently, the investigators are proposing to utilize genetic testing to select more genetically-informed medications to enhance their effectiveness in real-world patients with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, and bipolar affective disorder as well as medical problem with chronic pain in a large state hospital setting. The investigators plan to use genetic testing offered by Admera® for medications. The investigators hypothesize that utilizing such pharmacogenomic testing as a treatment decision support tool will demonstrate clinical benefits by improving patient response and decreasing adverse effects to the psychotropic medications. The proposed study will be conducted at the Oregon State Hospital, Salem Oregon over a total period of 12 months.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Oregon
      • Salem, Oregon, United States, 97301
        • Mujeeb Uddin Shad

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is between the ages of 18 and 80
  • Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder as ascertained by a qualified physician or mental health professional licensed to diagnose based on DSM-V criteria.
  • Patients using antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, and sedative/hypnotics will be allowed
  • Patients on clozapine treatment will be allowed.
  • Study subjects with a score of at least 12 on the scale to assess capacity to consent i.e., UBACC.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who are court-committed for involuntary medications
  • Uncontrolled and/or serious medical illness (as ascertained at admission screening process)
  • Pregnant patients
  • Patients who cannot communicate in English.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Genetically-guided treatment arm
The active arm - where patients will receive genetically-guided treatment
Drug: Genetically-guided treatment with FDA-approved psychotropic drugs
Psychiatric patients in this experimental arm will receive genetically-guided treatment with psychotropic medications
Drug: Treatment as usual (TAU)
All subjects assigned to TAU group, which is the control arm, will continue to receive FDA-approved psychotropic medications for psychiatric indications investigated in this study
Other Names:
  • standard of care treatment with FDA-approved psychotropic drugs
No Intervention: Treatment as usual (TAU) control arm
TAU is the control arm - where patients will continue to receive their usual treatment as before.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Positive Subscale of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)
Time Frame: 15 minutes
PANSS is one of the most widely clinical scales to monitor positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The scores range from 30 to 210. A score of 58 is considered mildly ill; 75 is moderately ill and 95 is markedly ill; and 116 is severely ill. This study will only use the scores from positive subscale (range 7 to 49) and the eligibility criteria will require a moderate score on 4 positive sub-scale items, including hallucinations, delusions, suspiciousness and conceptual disorganization to qualify for the study.
15 minutes
Behavioral Assessment of Pain Screening Instrument (BAPSI)
Time Frame: 10 minutes
This scale assesses level of pain-related disability, psychological distress, and pain intensity. 0 - 3 = minimal levels of average pain intensity; 4 - 6 = moderate levels of average pain intensity; 7 - 10 = severe levels of average pain intensity.
10 minutes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Time Frame: 10 minutes

This is a scale to assess severity of anxiety symptoms. Total score=21; 5-9 = Mild; 10-14 = Moderate; >15 = Severe

*For Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, & PTSD, cutoff score of 8 may be used for optimal sensitivity/specificity (see Evidence section).

Critical Actions

This tool should be used for screening and monitoring symptom severity and cannot replace a clinical assessment and diagnosis.

Do not forget to rule out medical causes of anxiety before diagnosing an anxiety disorder (for example, EKG for arrhythmias, TSH for thyroid disease).
10 minutes
Public Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: 10 minutes
This is a commonly used scale in clinical practice to assess depressive symptoms. The total score is 36. Score of 0-4 = Minimal or no depressive symptoms; 5-9 = Mild symptoms; 10-14 = moderate symptoms; 15-19 = Moderately severe symptoms; 20-27 = severe symptoms.
10 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I)
Time Frame: 5 minutes
CGI-S will be used to assess severity o illness at baseline. The total score ranges from 0 to 7, where 0 is not assessed; 3 is mildly ill; 5 is markedly ill; and 7 is most extensively ill. While CGI-I is is scored from 0 to 7, where 0 is not assessed; 1 is very much improved; 3 is minimally improved; 5 is minimally worse and 7 is very much worse.
5 minutes
Self-Report Quality of Life Scale (SQLS)
Time Frame: 5 minutes
This is a 30-item questionnaire, comprising three scales ('psychosocial', 'motivation and energy', and 'symptoms and side-effects') addressing different SQLS dimensions. Each quality of life item is scored from 0 to 4, where 0 is not assessed, 1 is rare; 2 is sometimes, 3 is often and 4 is frequently. The score can range from 0 to 120, where higher scores reflect lower quality of life.
5 minutes
Social & Occupational Functional Assessment Scale (SOFAS)
Time Frame: 7 minutes
SOFAS focuses exclusively on the individual's level of social and occupational functioning and is not directly influenced by the overall severity of the individual's psychological symptoms. It is scored from 0 to 100, where 100 = Superior functioning in a wide range of activities; 80 = No more than a slight impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning (e.g., infrequent interpersonal conflict, temporarily falling behind in schoolwork); 60 is Moderate difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning (e.g., few friends, conflicts with peers or co-workers); 40 = Major impairment in several areas, such as work or school, family relations; and 20 = Occasionally fails to maintain minimal personal hygiene; unable to function independently.
7 minutes
Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS)
Time Frame: 7 minutes
The AIMS is a 12-item clinician-rated scale to assess severity of EPS, especially dyskinesias in patients taking neuroleptic medications. It also assesses overall severity, incapacitation, and the patient's level of awareness of the movements, and distress associated with them. Items are scored on a 0 (none) to 4 (severe) basis; the scale provides a total score (items 1 through 7) or item 8 can be used in isolation as an indication of overall severity of symptoms.
7 minutes
UKU Side Effect Rating Scale (USERS)
Time Frame: 10 minutes
USERS is a comprehensive scale to assess side effects from medications. It is composed of several sub-scales but in this study we will only use the sub-scales that are frequently associated with neuroleptic medications i.e., psychic (10 items), neurologic (8 items) and autonomic (11 items). Each item is scores as 9, 0, 1, 2 and 3, the higher number represents a subjectively reported increase in frequency of respective side effect.
10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Oregon Health and Science University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mujeeb U Shad, MD, MSCS, Psychiatry

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 3, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 9, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

July 9, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 12, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 4, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

April 8, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 21, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 18, 2023

Last Verified

September 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STUDY00018828

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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