AdvertD test to assess risk of opioid addiction:
Salvation or sham?
The FDA has recently approved a DNA test by SOLVD Health, named AvertD, designed to assess an individual's genetic risk of opioid addiction using a simple cheek swab. This approval has ignited a mix of anticipation and skepticism among experts and public health advocates. While SOLVD Health champions the test as a critical step towards combating the opioid crisis by providing patients and doctors with vital information before prescribing pain pills, some critics argue that the test is based on shaky science and could lead to misuse or misunderstanding of the results.
What is AvertD?
AvertD operates by analyzing a patient's DNA for 15 genetic markers associated with opioid use disorders, processed through a formula to produce a risk score. High scores on this test indicate an elevated genetic risk of addiction, which is meant to guide clinical decisions in prescribing opioids. Despite the potential benefits, critics worry about the possibility of both false reassurances for those deemed at low risk and unjust denial of pain relief to those labeled at high risk. Critics have also expressed concern about the ethical implications of how these results might affect patient care and privacy.
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AdvertD and the FDA
The skepticism is partly rooted in the process leading to AvertD's approval. In December, the FDA greenlit the test despite a significant majority of its advisory committee experts voting against it, emphasizing the unproven nature of the test and potential bias in its algorithm. Critics, including opioid researcher Andrew Kolodny, have labeled the test a “sham,” arguing it represents a dangerous combination of profit-driven motives and the pressure on federal agencies to address the opioid epidemic, at the expense of public health.
The FDA defends its decision, arguing that the severity of the opioid crisis necessitates innovative solutions like AvertD, despite its limitations. The agency stresses that the test should not be used in isolation but as part of a comprehensive evaluation for patients considering opioid treatment for pain.
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Adding to the controversy is the FDA's conditional approval, which includes a black-box warning about the test’s limitations — a rare move for newly approved products. This has led some, like Michael Abrams from Public Citizen, to fear that the test might inadvertently legitimize risky prescribing practices.
Furthermore, the approval of AvertD raises broader questions about the role of genetic testing in medicine. Critics argue that the science of genetic risk tests like these are yet reliable enough to make critical health predictions, especially for complex conditions like addiction which are influenced by many genetic and environmental factors.
Despite these concerns, SOLVD Health and its CEO Keri Donaldson maintain that AvertD is a step forward in personalized medicine, offering patients and doctors valuable insights into the genetic risk of opioid addiction.
They state that the company is dedicated to responsible test use through comprehensive education and is closely monitoring its real-world effects.
The test’s introduction comes at a time when genetic testing is increasingly common, both in clinical settings and direct-to-consumer markets, for a range of health risks. Yet, AvertD's reception underscores the ongoing debate over the efficacy, ethics, and implications of genetic testing in public health crises like opioid addiction. As SOLVD Health plans a limited initial rollout of AvertD, the test's impact on the opioid crisis and its place in the broader landscape of genetic testing remain to be seen.
Final Thoughts
I believe that the FDA and mainstream medicine are continuing to do everything possible to justify keeping opioids on the market while blocking access to, misinforming the public about, and/or refusing to fund safer, more effective pain relief treatments due to greed. They are promoting this unproven genetic test to lead the public to believe that opioids can be used safely. The reality is that addiction risk involves much more than genetics, and opioids are unsafe on many levels. Besides the risk of addiction and overdose, opioids lower immunity, contribute to a significant proportion of fatal motor vehicle accidents, increase falls in the elderly and have many other side effects. In addition, they are much less effective than proponents claim.
Be sure to check out the articles on pain relief, recommended natural pain relief products and the listing of alternative pain treatment providers on the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory if you or someone you care about is in need of safe, effective pain treatment.
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