A new perspective article suggests that skin pigmentation could play a significant role in how effectively medications work, potentially leading to unintended health disparities among people with different skin tones. Researchers Simon Groen and Sophie Zaaijer argue that melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, may act as a “sponge” for certain drugs, affecting their bioavailability and efficacy.
The study, published in the journal Human Genomics, raises alarming questions about the standard dosing practices in the pharmaceutical industry. Groen, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, states, “Melanin’s implications for drug safety and dosing have been largely overlooked, raising alarming questions about the efficacy of standard dosing since people vary a lot in skin tones.”
This oversight is particularly concerning given the push for more diverse clinical trials, as outlined in the FDA’s Diversity Action Plan. However, current early-stage drug development practices still primarily focus on testing in white populations of Northern European descent, potentially shortchanging other ethnic groups.
The researchers provide an example involving nicotine patches, suggesting that their effectiveness for smoking cessation might vary across different skin tones. This finding could have significant implications for public health initiatives aimed at reducing smoking rates among diverse populations.
Groen and Zaaijer propose a new workflow using 3D skin models with varying pigmentation levels to assess drug binding properties across different skin types. They emphasize the need for pharmaceutical companies to consider skin pigmentation as a factor in safety and dosing estimates.
As the biomedical industry moves towards greater inclusivity, addressing these disparities becomes crucial. The researchers stress the importance of considering not just skin pigmentation, but also genetic variations among minority groups that can lead to different drug responses across races and ethnicities.
See “Skin tone could affect how well your meds work” (October 14, 2024)
