BOTHELL, Wash., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Iverson Genetic
Diagnostics, Inc. announced today that the WARFARIN Study
(Warfarin Adverse Event Reduction for
Adults Receiving Genetic Testing at Therapy
Initiation) was initiated in major hospital systems
nationwide to assess the utility of genetic testing to determine a
personalized warfarin dose for individual patients to reduce their
risk of serious bleeding or clotting events. Warfarin, the most
commonly prescribed blood thinner worldwide, causes up to 100,000
serious and unnecessary adverse events every year, including
thousands of deaths. Studies have shown that DNA testing can
dramatically improve the safety and effectiveness of warfarin, with
estimated savings to the U.S. healthcare system of approximately
$1.1 billion.Warfarin is prescribed to 2 million patients in the
U.S. annually and approximately 20 million Americans use the drug
in total. Warfarin is difficult to dose as patients respond
to it differently according to their genetic makeup — too much
warfarin can result in severe bleeding, and too little can cause
clot formation and increased risk of stroke. In the past,
warfarin dosing relied on trial-and-error, which exposed patients
to serious medical risks. Warfarin is the second most
frequent cause of drug-related emergency room visits.
Over the past few years, two genetic variants have been
identified that predict an individual’s response to warfarin.
Using genetic testing to guide physicians in starting
warfarin therapy has the potential to reduce deaths, increase
overall patient safety and lower national healthcare system costs.
Given the magnitude of these potential improvements in
warfarin use, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) has authorized the WARFARIN Study to gather data on the
potential impact of a pharmacogenetic test to reduce serious
bleeding and clotting episodes in pat
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