The effects and side effects of most drug treatments vary among patients. Some patients experience serious side effects (toxic effects) and some experience treatment failures, even though they have received the same drug dose. Recent research indicates that a more individual drug dosing based on genotyping or phenotyping of the patients can optimise the effects of the treatment and minimise the number of adverse reactions (“personalised medicine”).

We have investigated the effects of different genotypes of the drug metabolising enzyme carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) on the pharmacokinetics of two often used drugs, enalapril and methylphenidate. Secondly, we have genotyped patients poisoned with paracetamol in order to identify susceptible patients in risk of developing liver injury. Paracetamol is the most common drug poisoning in Denmark with several hundred enquires annually to the Danish Poison Information Centre (Giftlinjen).