3D render of a DNA double helix. Image credit: iStock by spawns.
UM study offers free genetic testing to improve mental health treatment in Manitoba
Research team recruiting 200 adults to participate
A University of Manitoba study is offering free genetic testing to help personalize mental health treatment. Researchers are seeking 200 adults who are starting or changing mental health medication. Enrolment is open until all spots are filled, or until the end of 2027.
Participants may be receiving care in hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities or through their family doctor. A physician referral is required to join.
This study aims to address a common problem many patients face: finding the right medication.
Why finding the right medication is challenging
More than 25 per cent of Manitoban adults live with mental illness, according to a Manitoba Centre for Health Policy study.
Many people with moderate to severe mental illness are prescribed psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics or anti-anxiety medications, either alone or in combination with therapy.
“Imagine taking a medication you’re hoping will improve your mental health, but then you start getting unwanted side effects or it doesn’t work at all,” said Dr. Jitender Sareen, professor and head of psychiatry at the Max Rady College of Medicine in UM’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
“Many get frustrated and give up on taking medications. That frustration can delay recovery and, in some cases, lead to more serious outcomes such as hospitalizations or suicidal thoughts. It can take months or even years to find the right medication.”
How genetic testing can help
“Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing analyzes genes to help predict how a person’s body may respond to certain medications,” said Dr. Abdullah Maruf, assistant professor in UM’s College of Pharmacy and researcher at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.
“Specifically, it looks at how genetic differences may affect the way the body metabolizes medications, which can influence drug levels in the body.”
That’s where the PGx-SUPPORT (Pharmacogenomics-Supported Psychotropic Prescribing Trial) study, led by Maruf and Sareen, comes in. The goal is to bring PGx testing into Manitoba’s public health-care system and improve mental health support across the province.
Through PGx-SUPPORT, 200 Manitobans can receive a free PGx test – valued at about $500 if done privately – that may help personalize their treatment. Participants and their doctors will get a report showing how genetic differences may affect medication response.
Why it matters
Sareen said precision medicine approaches like PGx testing could play a vital role in improving – and potentially saving – the lives of people living with mental illness.
“PGx testing can make medicine more personalized,” Sareen said. “It could help guide physicians on which medications may be safer or better tolerated, and what steps to take next.”
Beyond improving care, PGx testing could also reduce costs. Depression care costs an average of $8,244 per person per year in Manitoba.
“Much of that comes from trial and error – trying different drugs until something works,” said Mahin Hasan, a PhD student at the College of Pharmacy and research assistant on the study. “PGx testing can help reduce health-care costs.”
A study in British Columbia estimated PGx testing could save the health system $956 million over 20 years.
Inspired by such potential benefits, Maruf said PGx-SUPPORT could pave the way for Manitoba’s first publicly funded PGx testing facility.
“While PGx testing is already in use in health-care systems in the United States and Europe, it has not yet been implemented in Canadian public health settings,” Maruf said.
“We want to show policymakers why this will benefit Manitobans. Will physicians use it to personalize medication for their patients? Will it reduce hospitalizations and rehospitalizations? Improve patient outcomes? Shorten inpatient stays?”
How to participate
Manitobans aged 18 and older who are starting or changing mental health medication may be eligible.
To join:
- Ask your physician to send a referral to pharmpgxlab@umanitoba.ca
- Complete a consent form and short survey
- Provide a saliva sample
- Receive personalized test results for free within two weeks of the research team receiving the saliva sample
Learn more about PGx-SUPPORT at maruf-lab.org/pgx-support or call 431-294-7781.