Developing a personalised prescribing model to improve treatment for depression and anxiety is the aim of a leading-edge mental health initiative supported by the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation in Western Australia.
The Foundation’s substantial funding pledge over three years opens the way for WA’s Perron Institute researchers and co-contributors to design and pilot a model for introducing pharmacogenetics-guided anti-depressant prescribing.
Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the study of how genetic variation affects an individual’s response to medications.
“Mental health conditions such as depression are the leading cause of disease burden among young people in WA but more than half do not respond well to initial treatment,” said Consultant Psychiatrist (UWA) Professor Sean Hood, Chief Investigator for this Perron Institute-led project.
“The result is prolonged distress, increased suicide risk and avoidable strain on the healthcare system. The problem is even more acute in rural and remote areas, where limited access to specialist services exacerbates the challenges.”
The PGx-ADAPT project targeting Western Australians aged 16–24, aims to address system-level barriers to implementing pharmacogenetics by generating feasibility data across both metropolitan and rural WA settings.
“This evidence will steer the development of a practical implementation strategy for pharmacogenetics-guided prescribing tailored to an individual’s genetic profile, enabling faster, safer and more effective treatment pathways,” Professor Hood said.
Chief Investigator and co-leader of the Perron Institute’s Neuropharmacogenetics Project, Professor Jennifer Rodger (UWA) said the study was a response to findings from studies including the GENE-YD project which included concerns raised by WA youth and clinicians who have called for mental health care that is more effective, person-centred, and responsive to patient needs.
“With existing preliminary data, dedicated collaborators, and a consumer-led design, PGx-ADAPT is ready for real-world testing and refinement,” Professor Rodger said.
“The study will engage individuals with lived experience, clinicians, and policymakers. It will be co-designed with young people, community representatives, GPs and policymakers.
“The outcome we seek is a culturally responsive, ethical and scalable model for introducing pharmacogenetics-guided antidepressant prescribing (PGx) in WA.”
This collaborative project involves a wide range of medical, education, policy and economics researchers, clinicians and community representatives.
Co-Investigators are: Professor Gareth Baynam (Lyfe Languages, Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics – ALIGN), Rare Care Centre), Dr Kristen Nowak AM (ALIGN and WA Health), Dr Yarlalu Thomas (Lyfe Languages), Dr Bryan Low (GP, RACGP, Curtin University), Dr Graeme Fitzclarence (Rural GP, RCSWA, WACHS), A/Professor Michael Kyron (UWA, Suicide Prevention and Resilience Research Centre – SPAARC), Professor Mike Dockery (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) Curtin University), Kerry Leggett (RCSWA, PARTNER Network), and Dr Amy Page (Pharmacist, UWA).
Associate Investigators are: Professor Anthony Akkari (Perron Institute, Personalised Medicine Centre at Murdoch University), Professor Chad Bousman (Sequence2Script, University of Calgary), Dr Bernadette Majda (Curtin University), A/Professor Andrew Kirke (Rural GP, RCSWA, PARTNER Network) Dr Suzanna Temple and Dr Svetlana Baltic (Gene-S), Kay Esensoy (Consumer Advisor, Donnel Toussaint (consumer leadership expert), Chair of Consumer Advisory Panel), Brad Roberts (Perron Institute, UWA), Dr Jaroslaw Hryniewicki (Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Voix, Modalis), Dr Sibel Saya (University of Melbourne), Dr Sarah Youngson (Mental Health GP Private Clinic), A/Professor Kevin Murray (UWA), A/Professor Susanne Stanley, Professor Erin Godecke (Perron Institute), Professor Alan Duncan (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) Curtin University), and Dr Alison Hughes (GP Consultant).
The Project Coordinator is Zahra Cooper (Perron Institute, UWA).
Partner organisations include: Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, The University of Western Australia (UWA), Gene-S, Sequence2Script, The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia – RCSWA, PARTNER Network, Personalised Medicine Centre (PMC), Lyfe Languages, Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN), Royal Australian College General Practitioners (RACGP), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), and WA Health.
For more information, please email: pgx@perron.uwa.edu.au.
