Response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors in OCD is not influenced by common CYP2D6 polymorphisms

The cornerstone of pharmacotherapy for OCD is serotonin reuptake inhibition, either with clomipramine or with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In spite of the success of serotonin reuptake inhibiting drugs, nearly half of OCD patients do not respond to treatment. Treatment response may be affected by genetic polymorphisms of the P450 metabolic system. The four most common enzyme-activity reducing polymorphisms of the P450 CYP2D6 enzyme were determined in 91 outpatients with primary OCD according to DSM-IV criteria, receiving dosages titrated upward to 300 mg/day of venlafaxine or 60 mg/day of paroxetine, using a fixed dosing schedule. Our results show that the investigated CYP2D6 polymorphisms are not a decisive factor in the response to paroxetine and venlafaxine treatment in OCD in spite of their highly significant effect on the blood levels of these medicines.