A practical utility and benefit of pharmacogenetic-based antidepressant treatment strategy for major depressive disorder patients with difficult-to-treat
Kyung Ho Lee 1, Won-Myong Bahk 2, Soo-Jung Lee 2, Alessandro Serretti 3, Chi-Un Pae 2, 4*
1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 3Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Psychiatric Section, University of Bologna, Italy, 4Cell Death Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Received: March 3, 2020; Accepted: March 13, 2020; Published online: March 13, 2020.
© The Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology. All rights reserved.

Abstract
Background: We report the results of pharmacogenomics-based antidepressant treatment (PGXt) results in treating treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) patients in real practice.
Method: Nine patients were prescribed Neuropharmagen® for selection of antidepressants for individual patient. Clinical outcomes were described and also presented by measure of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Clinical Global Improvement-Improvement scale (CGI-I), Clinical Global Impression-Clinical Benefit (CGI-CB), and Patients Global Satisfaction (PGS) scales.
Results: All patients took different antidepressants which were not utilized before the PGX results. After switching, combination, and/or augmentation of antidepressants or psychotropics based on PGX results from current antidepressants, significant reduction of depressive symptoms and functional recovery were observed at some point and maintained during observation period in 6 patients (66.7%).
Conclusion: Our case series clearly shows the clinical utility and benefit of PGXt for treatment of TRD patients as evidenced from randomized-controlled clinical trial. Commercial PGX test may be a substantial help for treating TRD patients in routine practice.
Keywords: Treatment, Depressive disorder, Antidepressive agent, Treatment-resistant, Clinical outcome

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