Exeter IBD and Pharmacogenetics Research Group

The Exeter IBD and Pharmacogenetics Research group is headed up by Dr Tariq Ahmad, Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It was formed in March 2011 to initially investigate the genetics around side effects caused by taking drugs used in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The aims of the group are to raise the profile of IBD, to increase research in this field and to help to improve the health outcomes and management of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The group has built a large infrastructure across the UK and has many international collaborators in which it can conduct its research. The current projects included six studies, predicting serious drug side effects in gastroenterology (PRED4) which are retrospective studies to further investigate drug side effects and a prospective observation study, looking to personalised anti-TNF therapy in Crohn’s disease (PANTS).

The studies are supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the group receives funding and grant support from the international serious adverse event consortium (I SAE), IBD charities and pharmaceutical companies.