Pasay City, METRO MANILA- The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) presented key findings of a supported project of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) during the 47^th Annual Convention of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) on 10 May 2017 at SMX Convention Center.

The project entitled “Pharmacogenetic Studies on Some Commonly Used Drugs for Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Coronary Artery Disease among Filipinos” aims to determine the candidate genetic variations which are associated with effective drug response and/or adverse drug effects during medications for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of lipids in the blood), and coronary disease.

The proponents specifically discussed substudies of the project including Angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) response, Beta-blocker (BB) response, Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)-induced cough, Aspirin response, and Clopidogrel response.

Presented during the Session on Cardiovascular Genomics, the project is one of the two components of the program entitled “Genomic Researches on Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease and Dyslipidemia towards the Development of Individualized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies” which hopes to determine genetic profiles and responses to treatments of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease.

According to the proponents led by Dr. Rody Sy and Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de la Paz, the results will be used in clinical setting for individualized treatment strategies as well as in diagnosis to enhance care of Filipino patients and their families.

“This initiative offers a high-throughput screening of candidate genes; once identified, the findings may lead to the development of genetic test kits that can be provided at the point of care using various molecular diagnostic platforms,” the proponents explained in their project’s rationale.