PharmaGene
Pharmacogenomic Testing for Personalised Medication

Pharmacogenomic testing looks at specific genes that influence how your body absorbs, metabolises, and responds to medications. This helps identify whether a standard dose or drug is likely to work well for you, work poorly, or cause side effects, based on your unique genetic makeup. The goal is to support safer, more effective medication decisions.

PharmaGene can identify genetic factors that increase your risk of certain adverse drug reactions or reduced drug effectiveness, giving your doctor valuable insight before prescribing. However, medication response is also influenced by other factors like age, lifestyle, and overall health, so it cannot predict every possible outcome with certainty.

No, you do not need to be currently taking medication to benefit from PharmaGene testing. Because your genetic profile does not change, results can be kept on file and referred to whenever a new medication is prescribed, now or years into the future.

People taking multiple medications, those who have experienced unexpected side effects or poor results from a drug, and patients starting treatment for chronic conditions often benefit most. It is also valuable for anyone wanting a proactive, one-time test that can inform medication choices throughout their life.

No, PharmaGene does not diagnose any medical condition. It is specifically focused on how your body is likely to respond to medications, giving your doctor extra information to guide prescribing decisions alongside your diagnosis and treatment plan.

By revealing how your body processes specific drugs, PharmaGene allows your doctor to choose medications and dosages more precisely suited to your genetics, rather than relying on a standard, population-average approach. This can help reduce trial-and-error prescribing, minimise side effects, and improve the chances of a medication working effectively the first time.

Results are typically available within 4 weeks of the lab receiving your sample, after which they can be shared with your prescribing doctor to inform current or future treatment decisions.

Yes, PharmaGene is available in South Africa through Next Biosciences, giving local patients and doctors access to genetic insights that support safer, more personalised medication decisions.