Loading...
Many clinicians prefer escitalopram as an antidepressant because it has few interactions with other drugs, which could lead many to think that it also lacks important cytochrome P450 (CYP) interactions. These Norwegian investigators examined how the CYP2C19 genotype affected serum levels of the drug in 166 patients treated with escitalopram.
Researchers have previously identified a CYP2C19 polymorphism associated with rapid metabolism, as well as several “defective” polymorphisms associated with slowed metabolism. Compared with patients homozygous for the wild-type allele, patients who were homozygous for a defective CYP2C19 allele had escitalopram serum levels that were 570% greater at the same drug dose. Conversely, those who were homozygo…