What Is the Science Behind Pharmacogenetic (PGx) Testing?
Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the science of how your genes affect your body’s response to medications. It focuses mainly on small variations in your DNA that influence how fast or slow you process drugs — and how likely you are to experience side effects or reduced effectiveness.
How It Works (In Simple Terms)
Your body uses special enzymes — mostly in the liver — to break down medications. These enzymes are controlled by your genes.
Some people have genetic variations that make these enzymes:
Too fast → Medication is broken down too quickly → It may not work well
Too slow → Medication builds up in the body → Increased risk of side effects
Normal → Medication works as expected
PGx testing looks at these genes to predict how your body is likely to respond.
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monospace### What is Pharmacogenetics? (Simple, Patient-Friendly Version)
Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the science of how your genes affect the way medications work in your body.
Everyone metabolizes drugs a little differently because of tiny, perfectly normal variations in our DNA. These variations can decide whether a medicine:
- Works beautifully for you
- Does almost nothing
- Causes unpleasant or even dangerous side effects
### The Four Main Metabolism Types (Your Body’s “Drug Speed Setting”)
1. **Extensive (Normal) Metabolizer**
Most common. Two working copies of the gene → standard doses usually work perfectly.
2. **Intermediate Metabolizer**
Reduced activity → you may need a lower dose or a different medication.
3. **Poor Metabolizer**
Little to no activity → standard doses can build up and become toxic. Much lower doses (or different drugs) are often needed.
4. **Ultra-Rapid Metabolizer**
Extra-fast activity (sometimes multiple gene copies) → the drug may disappear before it can work. Higher doses or alternative medications are usually required.
### Why This Matters in Real Life
The same pill that saves one person’s life can send another to the emergency room — all because of genetics.
A single, one-time pharmacogenetic test tells you and your doctor:
- Which medications are most likely to help you
- Which ones might be risky or ineffective
- The safest, most effective starting dose
### One Tenacity’s Promise
We analyze the exact genes that matter for over 200 commonly prescribed medications — painkillers, antidepressants, blood thinners, cancer drugs, heart medications, and many more — so you get the right drug, at the right dose, for your unique body — the first time.
One simple test. A lifetime of smarter, safer medicine.
PGx Test Facts
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What the Test Actually Does
PGx testing typically uses:
A cheek swab or saliva sample
Lab analysis to identify genetic variants (polymorphisms)
A report that categorizes medications into groups such as:
May require a lower dose
May require a higher dose
Use with caution
Consider alternative medication
Important: The test does not diagnose disease — it helps guide medication decisions.
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Why It’s Scientifically Valid
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. PGx testing is based on:
✅ Decades of genetic research
✅ Clinical pharmacology studies
✅ Evidence-based guidelines from organizations like:CPIC (Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium)
FDA drug labeling updates
PharmGKB (Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase)
Many hospitals and clinics now use PGx to personalize medication because it reduces trial-and-error prescribing.
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What It Can and Can’t Tell You
✅ What it CAN do:
Predict higher risk of side effects
Predict reduced effectiveness of certain medications
Help doctors choose safer, more effective prescriptions
❌ What it CANNOT do:
Diagnose diseases
Replace medical advice
Guarantee outcomes
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Over 7 in 10 prescriptions are written for medications affected by genetics (painkillers, blood thinners, antidepressants, statins, and more). Without testing, you’re rolling the dice every time you refill.
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People with certain variants need up to 80–90% lower doses of drugs like codeine, warfarin, or clopidogrel. Skip the test, and you could land in the ER—even when you followed the doctor’s orders perfectly.
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Depression patients often try 4–6 antidepressants before finding one that works. Genetic testing can point to the most effective class on the very first try, sparing months of misery and side effects.
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The same genes that affect your response to anesthesia, antibiotics, or ADHD meds are passed to your children. One family test can protect everyone for life.
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For drugs like abacavir (HIV), carbamazepine (epilepsy), or allopurinol (gout), certain genetic variants trigger life-threatening reactions—Stevens-Johnson syndrome or severe skin necrosis—in up to 1 in 100 people. Hospitals now require genetic screening before prescribing these meds because the risk is that high.
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Genetic “poor metabolizers” are twice as likely to be hospitalized from side effects, and those ER visits or extra doctor appointments cost thousands. In Canada, adverse drug reactions are among the top 10 causes of hospital admissions. One $500 test can save you (and the healthcare system) tens of thousands over a lifetime.
Inclusive & Diverse Genetic Research
At One Tenacity, we believe personalized medicine should work equally well for everyone — no matter your ancestry. That’s why our pharmacogenetic (PGx) panel is one of the most inclusive available:
We include thousands of rare and population-specific variants that are often missing from older, European-centric databases.
We actively incorporate data from Indigenous, African, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and mixed-ancestry populations.
This dramatically reduces the chance of falsely labeling someone as a “normal metabolizer” when they actually carry a high-risk variant common in their community.
The result? More accurate, trustworthy results for people of all backgrounds — not just the majority.
Strictly Evidence-Based Science
We never guess. Every gene-drug interaction in your report comes from the world’s most respected authorities:
- Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC)
- Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG)
- U.S. FDA, Health Canada / Santé Canada, and European Medicines Agency (EMA)
- Peer-reviewed publications and the latest clinical guidelines
If a recommendation isn’t backed by these gold-standard sources, it doesn’t go in your report — period.
Always Up-to-Date, Always Improving
Pharmacogenetics moves fast — new variants and drug-gene links are discovered every year. When you order from One Tenacity:
- You receive the most current science available on the day your report is generated.
- We continuously update our database behind the scenes.
- Lifetime customers get free re-analysis whenever major new guidelines are released (no need to re-test).
One test today keeps giving you smarter answers for decades to come.
Key Genes Involved
Most PGx tests analyze genes related to drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transport, including:
CYP450 enzymes (especially: CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP3A4/5)
SLCO1B1 (affects statins and cholesterol drugs)
VKORC1 (affects warfarin sensitivity)
TPMT and NUDT15 (affect certain cancer and autoimmune medications)
These genes determine how your body metabolizes, activates, transports, or clears medications.
