Many MindedDiverse genetic data uncovers thousands of new drug-response variants
A study of nearly 100,000 Americans has found thousands of previously unknown variants in pharmacogenes, the genes that shape how people respond to prescription drugs. The data came from the NIH All of Us Research Program, and the paper appeared in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Philip Empey, director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, was senior author.
Researchers examined 16 pharmacogenes. Every participant carried at least one variant in those genes, and one in four had taken a medication that could be affected. Drugs involved include SSRIs, statins, chemotherapy agents and the blood thinner Plavix. Because participants come from more diverse ancestries, the study found variants missing from earlier work built on databases such as the U.K. Biobank.
This matters because knowing which variants change a drug's effect can make prescribing safer and more effective, with less trial and error and fewer adverse reactions. Finding variants in populations that earlier databases under-represented means that benefit can reach more people.
The caveats are real. Empey said genetics cannot be confirmed as the cause of any given past drug failure or side effect. Clinical use faces barriers: many people lack sequenced genomes, physicians may not know how genetics affect the drugs they prescribe, and many variants could matter.
The program's funding is also shrinking. It expects $122 million once a budget is finalized, an 80% drop from its 2023 peak, though Congress is on a continuing resolution, so that figure is not final. Cures Act money ends in fiscal year 2027. Former CEO Joshua Denny, who left at the end of October, said cuts sharply reduced enrollment efforts. The program has stopped letting participants see their genetic test results, and its goal of 1 million participants is at risk.
Source: STAT