Intermountain Precision Genomics Core Laboratory has launched RxMatch, a new service for all Intermountain Healthcare providers that makes it possible for physicians to personalize prescription medications for their patients.

The practice is called pharmacogenomics, or PGx, the analysis of how genes affect a patient’s response to medication.

[Also: Intermountain makes strides in precision medicine, advanced imaging]

The lab launched its RxMatch Anti-Depressant Panel on Tuesday. It is powered by CNSDose, a company that delivers decision support based on cutting-edge knowledge of liver and blood-brain-barrier metabolism of antidepressant medications. The test allows physicians to use patients’ genomics to find the right antidepressant faster than using existing trial-and-error methods.

In a recently conducted randomized controlled study, CNSDose demonstrated a 250 percent improvement in remission rates for patients suffering from depression over a three-month period, as well as reduced side effects.

The rollout to Intermountain Healthcare physicians will start with a pilot program in Southwest Utah. Patients will supply a DNA sample using a cheek swab collected in their physician’s office. The DNA sample will then be analyzed at Intermountain Precision Genomics Core Laboratory in St. George, Utah.

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