Since its launch in early September last year, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has successfully conducted pharmacogenetic analysis for over 1,500 patients, as a novel medical approach, focusing on tailoring medications to patient’s DNA (genetic code), allowing for precise predictions of drug efficacy and the selection of the most effective and safest treatments.
This represents a significant shift from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” model of prescribing the same drug and dosage to all patients, transitioning instead to a method that adapts to individual genetic differences in drug response.
Results from patients who underwent pharmacogenetic analysis revealed that over 70% of patients have at least three genes with altered functions, highlighting the effectiveness of this service in predicting varied drug responses based on genetic differences.
This helps reduce the health risks associated with adverse drug reactions, improves treatment efficiency, and enables physicians to focus on individual differences in medication response.
Statistics indicate that 15% of hospital admissions are due to adverse drug effects, imposing significant global financial and human burdens on healthcare systems.
Initially, pharmacogenetic services were offered to cardiology and neurology patients, and from April onwards, they were expanded to include organ transplant patients.
KFSHRC plans to gradually extend these services to all medical specialties, in line with its commitment to providing personalized healthcare for each patient, ensuring the highest standards of safety and prevention by using the latest scientifically proven practices worldwide.
It is noteworthy that KFSHRC won first place in the 2024 Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for its Pharmacogenomics Program initiative aimed at enhancing patient care.
KFSHRC has also been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 20th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centres for the second consecutive year and recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings.
Additionally, in the same year, it was ranked among the world’s best 250 hospitals and included in the list of the world’s smartest hospitals for 2025 by Newsweek magazine. visit KFSHRC.edu.sa
