We are delighted to share the publication of the second CERSI-PGx guideline on the use of HLA testing to optimise the prescribing of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and eslicarbazepine.
Indication for PGx testing: Any treatment-naïve patient, regardless of ancestry or indication for treatment, who is about to be prescribed carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine or eslicarbazepine, or has been on these drugs for less than 3 months, should undergo pharmacogenetic testing to identify all clinically relevant HLA alleles to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions.
Key recommendation: Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and eslicarbazepine should be avoided in HLA-B*15:02-positive patients. These drugs should also be avoided in patients positive for HLA-A*31:01 or HLA-B*15:11 if an alternative is possible.
Read the Full Guideline: To access the complete evidence base and prescribing recommendations, please download the HLA Genotyping Clinical Guideline (PDF) as published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
A sincere thank you to Dr Lucy Galloway for her excellent work throughout the development of the guideline, and to all the experts who contributed to this work. We are also grateful to the external stakeholders who provided valuable comments during the consultation process. as well as to the members of the PPIE group for preparing the plain English summary.