Adverse events of antipsychotics and cytochrome polymorphisms: a case series on 31 patients

Background: Adverse events (AEs) contribute to poor outcome in patients affected by mental disorders. The aim of this case series is to describe how many antipsychotics-associated serious AEs could have been prevented if we had known in advance the genetic profile of the patient. Subjects and methods: Data ofpatients who required the prescription of an antipsychotic drug, with a history of a documented antipsychotics-associated serious AE and who underwent Neuropharmagen® test were retrospectively collected. Results: Thirty-three subjects were selected for eligibility; two of them were excluded. Twelve subjects (38.7%) showed genetic polymorphisms most likely associated to an increased risk of AE, with pharmacokinetic variations being the most prevalent. Moreover, the 35.5% of the total sample revealed drug-drug interactions (pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic) associated with increased risk of AE. Conclusions: This case series highlights how pharmacogenetics testing with decision support tools, if applied earlier during the treatment with antipsychotics, could have led to identifying individuals at risk for serious AEs.