Precision medicine on a budget in Africa: using existing genetic data to mitigate adverse drug reactions to conventional cancer drugs.

ABSTRACT: Variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters are associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs). ADRs to cancer drugs can differ among populations owing to environmental and genetic differences. Due to limited resources and prohibitive costs associated with drug development, African countries rely on cancer drugs developed from non-African genetic backgrounds. Black Africans carry a high burden of ADRs partly because of the use of poorly optimized drugs. Black Africans are the least studied population despite being the most genetically diverse. There is a profound lack of pharmacogenetic studies in Black African populations, necessitating an urgent need for pharmacogenomic studies in Black African populations to optimize dosing and minimize ADRs. Using two common generic cancer

SUBMITTER: Djomkam Zune AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12390963 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature