Pharmacogenetics in developing countries and low resource environments

Abstract

While significant advances have been made in pharmacogenetics (PGx), especially in countries with developed economies, this field remains at its infancy in developing countries and low resource environments. Herein, we provide insights into the gap and challenges of PGx at the research and clinical fronts, and some perspectives to bridge the gap and move forward with PGx in the developing world. We show that developing countries fall behind in PGx research, evidenced by a lower number of researchers, citations, and research output. In addition, the implementation of PGx in the clinic has been progressing at a much slower pace than research, and more so in developing countries. To bridge this gap, we recommend fostering regional and multinational collaborations to secure funds for high-throughput genotyping and local capacity building while preserving individual countries' identity, implementing next-generation sequencing, and organizing specialized training and exchange programs to move PGx research and clinical applications forward in developing countries.