UK pharmacogenetics research - how genetic makeup can affect response to different drugs

Research into why some people react badly to certain medicines has received £4m from the government.

The funding will be shared by six teams researching pharmacogenetics - which looks at how a patient's genetic makeup can affect the way they respond to different drugs.

It is hoped that doctors will eventually be able to use information about a patient's genes to predict how they might respond to different medicines and then tailor treatments to suit their individual needs.

The winning bids include projects on how genetics could affect responses to drugs used to prevent blood clots and treat epilepsy. Another project aims to develop a screening test to identify patients who are at high risk of having a fatal reaction to general anaesthetic.

Health Minister Lord Warner said:

"Whilst research in this area is still in its early stages, pharmacogenetics has enormous potential to improve the effectiveness of the treatment that patients receive, and more importantly could save lives by identifying those patients who, because of their genetic make-up, are likely to react badly to certain medicines."

The funding is part of a £50m strategy announced in last year's Genetics White Paper to make sure that NHS patients get the full benefit of the latest developments in genetic knowledge.