Drugs affected by CYP2A6
About CYP2A6
CYP2A6 is the main enzyme that breaks down nicotine. Slow metabolizers keep nicotine in their system longer, smoke fewer cigarettes per day, and have a lower lifetime lung cancer risk. Their response to smoking cessation also differs: nicotine replacement works better for slow metabolizers, while fast metabolizers tend to benefit more from varenicline or bupropion.[1]
Identifying a smoker's CYP2A6 phenotype can guide which cessation strategy is most likely to work for them. A fast metabolizer on patches alone is often under-treated.
What we test for CYP2A6
Gene2Rx uses definitions covering 7 named CYP2A6 star alleles, built from 10 variants in Gene2Rx definitions. Results depend on the variants available in your upload.
- Star alleles
- 7
- Defined variants
- 10
- Source
- Gene2Rx definitions
- Genome build
- GRCh38
- Normal Function 1
- Decreased Function 5
- No Function 1
What are star alleles?
Star alleles (like *1, *2, *4) are standardized names for distinct versions of a pharmacogene. *1 is the reference; other numbers identify distinct allele definitions. A higher number does not mean lower function.
You inherit one allele from each parent, so your genotype is a pair (e.g. *1/*4). The pair determines your predicted phenotype: for example, whether you metabolize a drug at a normal, decreased, or no-function rate.
PharmVar is the international registry that defines and curates these allele names. Gene2Rx uses the supported definitions summarized here. Coverage depends on the variants present in your input; this is not a guarantee that every cataloged allele can be identified.
Medications with CYP2A6 information
This list contains 1 medication with CYP2A6 information from the sources shown below. Evidence and report eligibility differ by drug; each page explains its scope and limitations.
References
- PharmGKB / Stanford University. PharmGKB: The Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base. pharmgkb.org
Explore CYP2A6 in your report
Informational only, not medical advice. The presence of a CYP2A6 pharmacogenetic guideline does not mean every patient needs to change their dose. Never start, stop, or change a medication without talking to your prescribing clinician.