Sir

GSK's position on pharmacogenetic testing

The Opinion article by Lori Andrews1 contains mis-statements that merit clarification. First, Duke University owns the patent for APOE testing for Alzheimer disease (AD), not Athena Neurosciences (the exclusive licensee). Literature supports APOE4 testing not as a diagnostic predictor of AD in cognitively intact people, but in symptomatic patients with impairment of the AD type (97% positive predictive value). The inaccurate clipping cited from The Guardian misses the point: access to APOE testing was limited to avoid misuse of testing for AD diagnosis in individuals who were not cognitively impaired, as certified by their physicians.

Second, the author's opinions about GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and our motivations for pharmacogenetics are unsubstantiated. GSK's chief contribution to the Wall Street Journal clipping, cited by Professor Andrews, was our view that the highlighted study with asthma drugs is deficiently designed. We support, and are engaged in, research conducted to rigorous scientific standards to yield highly predictive medicine response tests2.

GSK has filed patent applications claiming novel gene-based tests for determining efficacy. Contrary to the Wall Street Journal article, it is not true that the company will not develop those tests for fear of losing sales. It is especially untrue that GSK will not let others develop such tests. GSK has no issued patents to enforce even if it chose to do so. No GSK company communication has gone to any scientist that would impede research.