Xcode Life Sciences incubated within the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is now engaged in research of Clopidogrel, an anti-platelet drug to analyze the level a patient suffering for Coronary Artery Disease and stroke can metabolise the drug and provide information to the doctor.
Clopidogrel is used for the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease, before and after Coronary Artery Stenting, Cerebrovascular Disease or stroke and Peripheral Artery Disease.
Blood clot formation due to excessive bad cholesterol results in narrowing or blockage of the artery leads to permanent organ damage being deprived of oxygen. In order to prevent organ damage it is vital to inhibit platelet clumping. Clopidogrel, an anti-platelet drug prevents platelets sticking to the plaque and its resultant adverse after effects.
“Our initial research review has revealed that 30-35 per cent of Indians are prone to abnormal metabolizing. This number, compared to the west is only 5 per cent. Moreover patients who go through coronary artery stenting and who cannot metabolize Clopidogrel are at a 3 to 3.5 times at a risk of stent failure. So there is a huge need for individuals who take Clopidogrel to take up a genetic assessment so they can increase the dosage or get on an alternate drug,” Dr. Saleem Mohammed, chief executive officer and co-founder, Xcode Life Sciences told Pharmabiz.
Clopidogrel needs to be converted into its active form for its anti-platelet activity. This conversion is done by the enzyme Cytochrome P450. The activity of this enzyme is controlled by the gene CYP2C19. If an individual has genetic variations in CYP2C19 gene, Clopidogrel is not converted into its active form. Hence such a person, despite taking Clopidogrel in the dosage prescribed will continue be at a risk of platelet induced organ damage such as heart attack or stroke which are highly fatal conditions, he added.
The next phase of research would involve the establishing references for the Indian population as currently there is very limited information that is available for the Indian subcontinent The company would also combine different sets of information including genetic, lifestyle, nutrition, diet, physical activity, clinical data etc. Besides, it would also identify genetic factors that puts us at high risk for certain diseases, stated Dr. Mohammed who is a doctorate in Bioinformatics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
As a preventive healthcare company, it is focusing in creating an awareness about the role and importance of DNA in the overall health conditions of an individual. In this regard it is now developing individualized life style changes in the population through evidence based science, discoveries and analytics which is achieved through a seamless integration of phenotypes and genomics.
The four-year-old company has personnel strength of 20 focusing on marketing, sales, medicine, genetics, nutrition and fitness. It is one of the recipients of the IKP Grand Challenges for tuberculosis (TB) control where Xcode received a grant of $30,000 . The company developed mobile health signal platform which is an innovative way to raise awareness amongst TB patients to ensure adherence to drug regime.