Novartis AG has become the first company to develop a genetic test for a drug’s potential side effects. The test is part of a plan by the company to resubmit Prexige pain drug for FDA approval. Due to the high rate of liver damage associated with Prexige’s use, in 2007 the FDA rejected the drug’s approval for treating osteoarthritis. The obligatory genetic test would test patients for their predisposition to suffering liver damage when taking the drug. The accompanying genetic test could improve the drug’s likelihood of approval and would also make it more marketable to physicians. However, Pexige is a Cox-2 inhibitor, a class of drug that has received increased scrutiny and negative publicity in recent years. Prexige would compete with Celebrex. The test is the first product created by Novartis’s Molecular Diagnostics unit, which was formed last year.

Source: Bloomberg.com