Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been used in Singapore since 19881 as an effective drug for the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy, neuropathy, neuralgia and psychiatric conditions. However, it is a high-risk drug for Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), particularly in Asians, and in 2004, a genetic marker human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*1502 in Han Chinese was identified. In Singapore, these findings were validated and the carriage of HLA-B*1502 was associated with CBZ-induced SJS/TEN.
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