ScienceJuly 31, 2026

pharmacogenes

far-muh-ko-JEENZ

Definition

Specific genes that influence how an individual's body metabolizes or responds to various pharmaceutical drugs.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'pharmakon' (drug or medicine) and 'gene' (origin or descendant), combining to describe the relationship between genetics and pharmacology.

In the news

The article uses pharmacogenes to highlight the need for Indian-specific genomic datasets, ensuring that clinical decisions and drug treatments are optimized for local genetic variations.

CSIR Details Healthcare Research Pipeline from Genomics to Commercialisation

Read the full article ↗

The Policy Edge

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.