Chunk #25 — 3. Pharmacogenetic Studies of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in Individuals of Diverse Ancestries — 3.2 Individuals of East Asian Ancestry
Collectively, the studies in individuals of East Asian ancestry, to date, suggest that this population may benefit from tailored pharmacological treatments, as those who are Asp40 carriers of the OPRM1 gene are overrepresented in individuals of East Asian relative to other ancestries. Future research may also examine the long-term benefits of NTX treatment in individuals of East Asian ancestry as well as investigate similar pharmacological treatments that have not yet been tested in this population, such as nalmefene. Furthermore, futures studies should aim for larger samples as most previous research in this population has been limited to small sample sizes. The smaller sample sizes of studies in individuals of East Asian ancestry could explain why some of the promising findings with response to NTX treatment in Asp40 carriers may not consistently replicate across larger studies that have been conducted in individuals of European ancestry.30, 34, 35
