Role of PGx in Covid-19 Investigational Therapies

Recording Date: April 16, 2020
Presenter: Dr. Houda Hachad, Chief Science Officer Translational Software

Summary of Webinar

The FDA confirmed that trials are underway to determine the efficacy of using chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, and antivirals (remdesivir, etc.) to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections. Stephan Hahn, head of the FDA, said the drugs would be initially used under “compassionate use,” which means doctors can ask to use the experimental drug on patients. As the prescriptions of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are likely to increase in the coming weeks, we have reviewed whether there are any known pharmacogenetic (PGx) associations that may be important to identify by PGx testing to ensure safe and effective use. Dr. Houda Hachad, CSO, shared our findings and discussed other talking points around PGx testing around coronavirus patients.

About the Presenter

Houda is an entrepreneurial scientist with deep experience in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics. At the University of Washington, she co-developed two knowledge-based technologies, a drug interaction database (DIDB) and a pharmacogenetics database (e-PKGene©). Both leverage revenue-based funding and are widely used by pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies, and academic institutions worldwide.