The Research Department at Salugen Biosciences investigates the utilization of laboratory tests to guide the therapeutic decision-making in pain management. Salugen scientists bring over 30 years of research into the genetics of neuroscience.

Published Studies

Salugen Biosciences scientists have played an important role in defining the market of pharmacogenomics. In addition, there are thousands of publications supporting the genes involved in Salugen testing.  Despite these publications, there is still a significant need for more research.  There are studies supporting the role of genes and opioid efficacy and abuse.

• In a study of HAVEOS Genetics Abuse Screen test, researchers found a 74% positive predictive value, meaning that persons with this gene variation were 74% likely of having a reward deficiency disorder, such as alcohol abuse and dependence, drug abuse, and sugar cravings.¹ Click here to download the study.
  
• In a study presented at the American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting in May 2011, researchers looked at 549 patients from 50 practices. Clinicians were asked to identify which patients they thought were at risk for medication misuse and those who weren't, using standard risk assessment methods. Researchers then compared these results to urine drug tests. Physicians' best guesses were most accurate for patients they believed to be misusing their medications. However, in the group thought to be compliant, clinicians missed 60% of patients who went on to have an abnormal urine drug test. For more information, click here.
• A new study by Geisinger Health System researchers finds a high prevalence of prescription pain medication addiction among chronic pain patients. In addition, researchers found that the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) new definition of addiction, which was expected to reduce the number of people considered addicts who take these medicines, actually resulted in the same percentage of people meeting the criteria of addiction. Published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases, the study found that 35 percent of patients undergoing long-term pain therapy with opioids like morphine, OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, meet the criteria for addiction. “Most patients will not know if they carry the genetic risk factors for addiction,” said study lead Joseph Boscarino, senior investigator II, Geisinger Health System. “Improper or illegal use of prescription pain medication can become a lifelong problem with serious repercussions for users and their families.” Boscarino added that “genetic predisposition to addiction further exacerbates the risks associated with misuse of prescription pain medication.” Using electronic health records, a random sample of outpatients undergoing long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer pain was identified and 705 participants completed telephone interviews from August 2007 through November 2008. When comparing the APA’s newly revised criteria for addiction with the old criteria, researchers were surprised to find the prevalence of and risk factors for addiction to be virtually the same. It was determined that different symptoms now qualify the same patients for inclusion who would have been excluded under the previous classification system. The study states that pain medication addiction often happens in people under 65, with a history of opioid abuse, withdrawal symptoms and substance abuse treatment. Risk factors for severe pain medication addiction also include a history of anti-social personality disorder. “Ultimately, we hope our research will aid the development of newer classes of medications that don’t negatively impact the brain and therefore avoid addiction entirely,” Boscarino said. Researchers from New York University also contributed to the study. Click here to learn more.

Future Clinical Studies

Salugen Biosciences is committed to investing 20 percent of its sales into research and development to bring new technologies to market, and conduct clinical studies to demonstrate their safety and efficacy. Currently, Salugen Biosciences has several clinical studies planned with additional investigations in the early stages of development.

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