When good drugs go bad

How can we best reduce the risk of severe adverse reactions to marketed drugs? An international group of scientists argues that a global research network is needed to identify genetically at-risk populations. Nearly 2 million Americans a year experience a serious adverse drug reaction (SADR) when using marketed drugs, and 100,000 die. The figures are similar in other developed countries. The search for predictive genetic tests for SADRs is therefore of vital importance. In a Commentary, Giacomini et al. argue that an important step towards this goal is the creation of a global pharmacogenomics network for the study of SADRs. Some large-scale projects exist — EUDRAGENE in Europe, GATC in Canada — but only a global network will bring the necessary patient numbers.