Haplotypes vs. SNPs

In the wave of interest spawned by the mapping of the human genome, the public and Wall Street have focused on efforts to use single nucleotide polymorphisms to identify target genes associated with disease or drug response.

However, it's not yet clear how often knowledge of an individual SNP will have utility in the clinic or in drug development. Indeed, a paper published recently by Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc. demonstrated in asthma, at least, that the association of individual SNPs to form a complete haplotype - the combination of SNPs that co-exist on a single chromosome - may be more relevant in predicting drug response. ...