Genomind Press

Pharmacogenetic Testing In Psychiatric Populations Found To Increase Clinician Confidence In Treatment Decisions

November 11, 2011 – Chalfont, Pennsylvania – Genomind, LLC, a company focused on neuropsychiatric personalized medicine, will present data from a new study at the 2011 Neuroscience Education Institute (NEI) Global Psychopharmacology Congress, being held November 10-13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The presentation, entitled, “Does Pharmacogenetic Testing in Psychiatry Influence Clinician Treatment Selection and Confidence?” indicates that 76% of early adopter clinicians say that the Genecept™ Assay influenced their treatment of patients, 67% say they elected to make changes to treatment, and 87% say the test increased their confidence in treatment decisions.

The authors of the study are Jay Lombard, DO, Chief Scientific Officer for Genomind and Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College, Roy Perlis, MD, Director, Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, and Bryce Kasuba, MA, MBA, and Rachel Dicker, PharmD of Genomind.

“We are pleased to be able to present our data at the NEI conference about how genetic testing can help clinicians be more confident about the treatment decisions they make,” said Dr. Lombard.  “As opposed to trial and error, a personalized medicine approach has great promise for making better choices about treatment, and we anticipate seeing further data that will support the results from our early adopter program.”

Depression has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. It affects approximately 19 million Americans, or 9.5% of the population, in any given one-year period. It is estimated that depression costs the United States $83 billion each year in lost productivity and increased medical expense.

A report issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the rate of antidepressant use in the U.S. has increased nearly 400% since 1988, with about 11% of Americans aged 12 or older taking antidepressants.

Despite the increase in antidepressant use, studies have found that even the most popular antidepressants on the market work for only about half of the people who try them, and that as many as 30% of those who are clinically depressed aren’t helped by any of the drugs they have taken.

The Genomind study was a cross-sectional analysis of clinician surveys. Participant clinicians were selected through outreach to licensed practitioner members of the NEI. In the initial round, 69 clinicians returned responses to Genomind’s Clinical Decision Surveys, reporting their experience with 105 patients.

Those 105 patients were notable for the severity and chronicity of illness: 39% were reported as having had four or more previous treatment trials, and more than 1/3 had been ill consistently for more than 4 years.

Genomind has also initiated pilot studies with leading industry partners to further demonstrate clinical utility, efficacy outcomes, and cost savings from the use of the Genecept Assay.

About NEI

The Neuroscience Education Institute, was founded in 2000 by award-winning author and psychiatrist Stephen M. Stahl, MD. NEI provides interactive learning to mental health clinicians worldwide. Through NEI’s fast-growing Global Psychopharmacology Congress, its web-based CME activities, and its online resources, NEI simplifies complex concepts to enhance understanding for US and international clinicians. NEI Members and Guests have access to https://www.NEIglobal.com, an online resource focused on the essentials of psychopharmacology. Learn more at https://www.NEIglobal.com.

About Genomind

Genomind is a company specializing in neuropsychiatric personalized medicine and was formed to facilitate the adoption of personalized medicine into psychiatry by providing genetic information to better understand the patient. Its Genecept™ Assay was made available for the study. Genomind was founded by Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD, a psychiatrist who has devoted his career to improving mental health and bringing innovations in science, delivery, and access to mental health patients. He also is founder of ValueOptions, one of the nation’s leading behavioral health and wellness companies. Dr Lombard, a neurologist, is co-founder of Genomind and is a critically acclaimed author and nationally recognized thought leader in neuropsychiatry practice and research.

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