U of M researchers studying whether genetic testing helps zero in on effective mental-health treatment meds

A team of University of Manitoba researchers is recruiting people seeking mental-health treatment for a study that could take the guesswork out of medication with the help of genetic testing.

The study will offer free pharmacogenomic testing — which predicts how a person may react to medications based on their genetic makeup — to 200 adults who are looking to start a new medication or switch their medication treating a mental-health issue.

“Someone with mental-health conditions, they (try) multiple medications, and sometimes it takes months or years to get to a point where those drugs work for them, or to have less side effects,” said Dr. Abdullah Maruf, the lead investigator on the study and assistant professor in U of M’s College of Pharmacy.

“Pharmacogenomic testing can find out how our body will respond to these kinds of medication.”

Pharmacogenomic testing is offered privately in Manitoba, with tests costing approximately $500 out of pocket. While there are some types that are covered through private insurance, there is no way to receive it through the public health system in any province in Canada.

Researchers hope this study is a step toward changing that. Dr. Jitender Sareen, the head of psychiatry at the U of M’s Max Rady College of Medicine, pointed to a 2023 study in B.C., that found if every patient with depression in the province received genetic testing, it could save the province $1 billion in health-care costs over 20 years.

Testing could reduce the number of medication options from 40 to five or 10, he said.

“I think our our efforts are really to impact policy, to say, ‘Look, this is a cost-effective intervention, it’s a small cost to the system to do this test… we’re trying to continue to make this more available in inpatient and outpatient settings,” he said.

It could also prevent delays in recovery by helping people find the right treatment before getting frustrated and giving up or ending up hospitalized with a treatment plan that isn’t working.

“Many people suffer with depression, anxiety, and right now, the physician really has limited guidance around what they what’s going to help this particular person in front of them,” he said.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said any new additions to the public health system “would require a thorough assessment.”

“We appreciate the efforts of Manitoba researchers and look forward to reviewing the study results once they are available,” Asagwara said in a statement.

The research team has received $70,000 from the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and $50,000 from the U of M’s psychiatry department for 200 patients between now and 2027, but Maruf said they hope to extend their funding to add more patients and see if genetic testing could reduce hospital stays in Manitoba.

Potential participants have to be referred by a doctor. Physicians can send a referral to pharmpgxlab@umanitoba.ca. Eligible patients will have to complete a survey and provide a saliva sample.

More than one in four adults in Manitoba have a mental illness.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca