Thiopurine-based therapeutic drugs may accumulate to toxic levels in patients carrying genetic variants of the drug-metabolizing enzyme TPMT. The PGX-TPMT StripAssay® identifies the most frequent TPMT variants of therapeutic relevance.
PGX-TPMT
- Thiopurines are widely used in the treatment of leukemias and autoimmune disorders, and as immunosuppressants after organ transplantation.
- Thiopurine compounds are converted to therapeutically inactive metabolites by thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT). Certain TPMT isoforms have substantially reduced activity leading to elevated thiopurine blood levels at standard dosage. Subsequent toxic myelosuppression may occur and may lead to life-threatening conditions.
- Assessment of the patient’s TPMT isoform is a prerequisite for avoiding toxic effects of thiopurine treatment.