Media & Press
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Phenomix and Mayo Clinic Publish Research Demonstrating Utility of MyPhenome Test for Personalized GLP-1 and Phen-Top Treatment
Published in Cell Metabolism, the Phenomix and Mayo Clinic research shows the MyPhenomeTM test can help providers guide obesity treatment by matching patients to GLP-1s or phentermine/topiramate based on their unique biology.
PR Newsire - Jun 10, 2025, 09:01 ET
Menlo Park, Calif. June 10, 2025 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), the first commercial precision obesity medicine biotechnology company, today announces the publication of a landmark study validating the utility of its MyPhenomeTM genetic obesity test. Published in Cell Metabolism, the peer-reviewed study is the first published research validating the clinical utility of MyPhenome’s genetic risk score to help predict weight loss response to two commonly prescribed anti-obesity medication classes: GLP-1 receptor agonists and phentermine/topiramate.
Led by Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, and his research team at Mayo Clinic, the study, “Genetic and Physiological Insights into Satiation Variability Predict Responses to Obesity Treatment,” revealed MyPhenome test results can help reduce variability in response to obesity medications and enable clinicians to select more effective treatments based on a patient's unique biology.
Read the full release here.
Novel Gene Risk Score Predicts Outcomes After RYGB Surgery
June 9, 2025
By: Marilynn Larkin published in Medscape
A novel gene risk score, informed by machine learning, predicted weight-loss outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, a new analysis showed.
“Patients with both a high genetic risk score and rare mutations in the leptin-melanocortin pathway (LMP) had significantly worse outcomes, maintaining only 4.9% total body weight loss [TBWL] over 15 years compared to up to 24.8% in other genetic groups,” Phenomix Sciences Co-founder Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, told Medscape Medical News.
Potentially Paradigm-Shifting
Onur Kutlu, MD, associate professor of surgery and director of the Metabolic Surgery and Metabolic Health Program at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, commented on the study for Medscape Medical News. “By integrating polygenic risk scores into predictive models, the authors offer an innovative method for identifying patients at elevated risk for weight regain following RYGB.”
“Their findings support the hypothesis that genetic predisposition — particularly involving energy homeostasis pathways — may underlie differential postoperative trajectories,” he said. “This approach has the potential to shift the paradigm from reactive to proactive management of weight recurrence.”
Read the full article here.
New Mayo Clinic Studies Find MyPhenome Test Predicts Recurrent Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery
Research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2025 is the first to show that the MyPhenome test can identify patients at risk for weight regain and those most likely to benefit from bariatric procedures.
Menlo Park, Calif., May 28, 2025 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), the first commercial precision obesity medicine biotechnology company, today announced a new study presented by Mayo Clinic researchers at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025. For the first time, the findings show the MyPhenome® test can help providers identify which patients are most likely to benefit from bariatric procedures, and which are at greater risk for long-term weight regain after surgery.
Led by renowned obesity expert and Phenomix co-founder Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, the study builds upon decades of research showing how genetic insights can improve clinical decision-making in obesity care. The study, “A machine-learning assisted gene risk score for calories to satiation predicts weight loss outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery,” was presented by Maria A. Espinosa, MD.
In the study, researchers analyzed genetic and long-term weight data for patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Using the MyPhenome test, the researchers found that patients with both a high genetic risk score and rare genetic mutations (leptin-melanocortin pathway) experienced significantly more weight regain over 15 years. This group maintained only 4.9% total body weight loss compared to up to 24.8% in other genetic groups. The findings suggest the MyPhenome test can help surgeons and healthcare providers identify patients who may need additional support or alternative approaches to maintain weight loss post-surgery.
Read the rest of the release here.
Mayo Clinic Study Shows MyPhenome Test Predicts GLP-1 Side Effects, Advancing Personalized Obesity Care and Drug Development
Study presented at DDW 2025 finds genetic risk scores can identify patients at higher risk of nausea from GLP-1 therapies, supporting the development of more targeted treatment decisions and advancing pharmaceutical R&D.
Menlo Park, Calif. May 7, 2025 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), the first commercial precision obesity medicine biotechnology company, in partnership with Mayo Clinic researchers, presented new findings at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025 showing that the MyPhenome® test can predict which patients are more likely to experience side effects, specifically nausea, from GLP-1 therapies.
The research, led by renowned obesity researcher and Phenomix co-founder, Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, and presented by Thomas Fredrick M.D., marks an important step toward more personalized obesity care and improved clinical trial design to support drug development.
The study titled, “A Genetic Risk Score Associated with Nausea Resulting from GLP-1 Agonist Treatment: A Post-Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Liraglutide,” analyzed post-hoc genetic data from 110 participants. Using a machine learning-assisted Genetic Risk Score (GRS), researchers analyzed the relationship between individual genetic profiles and adverse events, including nausea. Patients with a high GRS were more than twice as likely to experience nausea from liraglutide, a GLP-1 medication, compared to those with a low score (68% vs. 30%).
Read the full release here.
Phenomix Sciences and Mayo Clinic to Present Landmark Research at DDW 2025, Advancing Precision Obesity Medicine
The extensive body of research from Mayo Clinic emphasizes major advancements in obesity, including prediction of GLP-1 side effects, a new obesity sub-phenotype, and insights into personalized bariatric and endoscopic procedures.
Menlo Park, Calif., April 23, 2025 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), the first commercial precision obesity medicine biotechnology company, today announced the presentation of 17 groundbreaking studies at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025, taking place May 4-6 in San Diego. Presented by Mayo Clinic researchers, these studies, eight of which include the use of Phenomix’s predictive machine learning algorithms, represent major strides in understanding and treating obesity as a complex, biologically driven disease. The findings include significant advances in predicting response to GLP-1 therapies, identification of a new obesity sub-phenotype, and new data guiding bariatric and endobariatric treatment decisions. Collectively, the research highlights the growing role of precision medicine in obesity care to guide treatment decisions, as well as drug and device development.
The research, led by renowned obesity researcher and Phenomix co-founder, Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, alongside his multidisciplinary team at Mayo Clinic, highlights three key breakthroughs being shared publicly for the first time, including:
- Predicting Side Effects to GLP-1 Therapies
- Discovery of a New Obesity Sub-Phenotype
- Predicting Response, Risk to Bariatric and Endoscopic Treatment
Read the full press release.
Phenomix Sciences Announces First Prospective Clinical Study of Semaglutide Using MyPhenome™ Test
Building on a decade of research and validation, study leverages precision, phenotype-guided treatment for enhanced patient outcomes on GLP-1s.
Menlo Park, Calif., April 8, 2025 -- Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), the first commercial precision obesity medicine biotechnology company, announced today its first prospective, placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating the ability of the MyPhenome™ test to predict response to semaglutide, the first of many GLP-1-based therapies which have taken center stage in the fight against obesity. The trial builds upon Phenomix’s extensive body of research, including ongoing real-world clinical data collection and over a decade of research from company co-founders and Mayo Clinic researchers Andres Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Camilleri, M.D., D.Sc.
The study, currently enrolling patients, will determine the efficacy of semaglutide in patients with obesity and with either a positive or negative MyPhenome Test for abnormal satiety (Hungry Gut). In a previous retrospective study conducted at the Mayo Clinic, investigators demonstrated that patients identified as Hungry Gut positive with the MyPhenome test lost almost twice as much weight on semaglutide as those identified as Hungry Gut negative. This prospective study aims to further refine obesity treatment selection by strengthening the evidence for personalized approaches, improving patient response rates, and reducing unnecessary medication use.
Read the full press release here.
Duly Health Brings Genetic-Based Weight Loss Treatment to Chicago with MyPhenome Test
Chicago-area patients now have access to precision medicine for obesity care with genetic obesity test from Phenomix Sciences.
Menlo Park, Calif. -- March 13, 2025 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that uses data intelligence to treat obesity, today announces its MyPhenomeTM test is now available at Duly Health and Care’s Weight Loss Clinics in Naperville, Westmont, and Oak Brook, Ill. Under the leadership of obesity management expert, Zaid Jabbar, M.D., M.S., the launch provides Chicago-area patients with a groundbreaking tool to personalize obesity treatment based on their unique biology and genetic profile.
Dr. Jabbar said, “the MyPhenome test helps uncover the underlying biological factors contributing to obesity, allowing us to move beyond trial-and-error treatments and create truly personalized care plans that give patients the best chance for long-term success.”
Read the full release here.
PR Newswire Link
MyPhenome Test Shows Promise in Predicting Weight Gain, Highlighting Need for Early Intervention in Obesity
Mayo Clinic research at Obesity Week 2024 demonstrates precision medicine’s role in transforming obesity prevention.
Menlo Park, Calif., Nov. 14, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences, a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to obesity treatment, announces today the findings from new research conducted at Mayo Clinic and presented at Obesity Week 2024. For the first time, this early data demonstrates the utility of the MyPhenome test in predicting future weight gain, a key area of obesity care. The study showed participants with abnormal satiation and high gene risk scores experienced 4% greater weight gain after five years.
Read the full release here.
5 Interesting Companies I Saw at HLTH
MedCity News | By Arundhati Parmar
November 04, 2024
I met a mix of biotech and healthtech companies at HLTH affecting everything from drug development, drug efficacy to controlling specialty care costs and managing chronic diseases.
Phenomix Sciences
This company based in Minneapolis and Palo Alto has its roots at Mayo Clinic. It has developed a test called the MyPhenome Test that helps people and their doctors understand why they gain weight and then get treated accordingly. The company’s test gathers behavioral and biomarker data along with a person’s saliva that is then to set to a lab for analysis.
Read the rest of the feature here.
MyPhenome Test Earns Spot on TIME’s 2024 Best Inventions
Genetic test from Phenomix Sciences revolutionizes obesity treatment by uncovering the biology behind obesity through a simple saliva test.
Menlo Park, Calif. — October 30, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences, a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to obesity treatment, announces today its MyPhenome test has been recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 in the medical care category. The MyPhenome test is a simple saliva swab that determines the root biological factors that can cause obesity and helps physicians personalize treatments for more effective weight loss. This annual list celebrates the top 200 innovations shaping the future, addressing critical challenges, and transforming lives across fields such as healthcare, AI, and green energy.
Click here to read more.
Precision Medicine for Weight Loss: Dr. Andres Acosta
Podcast with Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina
There is no one size fits all for weight loss, and not everyone will respond the same to specific diets, lifestyle changes, and medications, including Ozempic. In this episode of Practically Healthy, Dr Melina welcomes world renowned gastroenterologist and obesity expert Andres J. Acosta, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Acosta is the head of the Precision Medicine for Obesity Laboratory at Mayo Clinic and co-founder of Phenomix Sciences, a precision medicine company that uses your DNA to predict your response to weight loss interventions.
The doctors discuss the four obesity phenotypes that Dr Acosta and colleagues have identified: Hungry Brain, Hungry Gut, Emotional Hunger, and Slow Burn and how using these phenotypes to create personalized treatment plans including diet, exercise and medication, can double weight loss. To learn more about this exciting new testing, visit myphenometest.com
Listen to the podcast here.
Phenomix Sciences and InformedDNA Partner to Advance
Genetics-Driven Obesity Care
Launching at HLTH 2024, the groundbreaking partnership offers payers, health systems, employers, and life science organizations access to personalized obesity care and treatment planning based on a patient’s DNA.
Menlo Park, Calif. - October 17, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences, a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, announces a new partnership to advance precision medicine in obesity with InformedDNA, the nation’s leading applied genomics solutions company. The collaboration integrates Phenomix’s MyPhenomeTM genetic obesity test with InformedDNA’s DNAimpactTM precision health platform, broadening access to genetics-based weight management care for InformedDNA’s extensive network of payers, health systems, employers, and life sciences organizations.
Read the rest of the release here.
New Survey Shows Strong Patient Support for Personalized Obesity Interventions
Respondents ages 18 to 65 highlight urgency for medical recognition, scientifically proven interventions, and genetic testing for personalized obesity treatment.
Menlo Park, Calif., August 1, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, today announces the results from a new U.S. weight loss survey from 475 patients who have struggled with excess weight or are currently overweight or obese. The survey provides valuable insights into patients’ evolving preferences for obesity treatment, how they receive this information, and what that means for the future of anti-obesity medications, like GLP-1s.
Consumer suvery clearly shows that patients want to get weight loss advice from their physician and not from TikTok.
Read the full survey report here.
TIME Magazine: A New Test Predicts Who Will Benefit Most From Weight-Loss Drugs
As popular as the new group of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are, not everyone responds the same way.
Read the full story here.
Personalized Obesity Care Using Genetic Testing Available in New Phenomix Sciences and Hello Alpha Partnership
The first-of-its-kind collaboration combines personalized genetic insights with evidence-based treatments to provide accessible and effective obesity care
Menlo Park, Calif., July 9, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, announced today a partnership with Hello Alpha, a virtual primary care platform built to empower women to take control of their personal healthcare in a convenient, affordable, and discreet online process. This first-of-its-kind collaboration gives Hello Alpha’s expansive network of providers and patients access to the MyPhenomeTM genetic obesity test, a simple saliva test that identifies a patient’s subtype, or phenotype, of the disease. Starting today, Hello Alpha is offering the MyPhenome test alongside weight loss counseling and support to the first 50 eligible patients within its network.
Read the rest of the release here.
Not Everyone Loses Weight on Ozempic
By: Emily Mullin | WIRED SCIENCE
July 1, 2024
For many patients, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lead to substantial weight loss. But some see much less benefit, and researchers are trying to figure out why.
While many people do remarkably well on them, a subset lose little to no weight on new GLP-1 drugs—so-called because they mimic a naturally occurring hormone in the body called GLP-1 that’s involved in regulating blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. In a trial of semaglutide, about a third of people lost less than 10 percent of their weight; in a study for tirzepatide 16 percent of people on the highest dose lost less than 10 percent of their weight. In the same trials, about 14 percent of participants on semaglutide lost less than 5 percent of body weight; for those on the highest dose of tirzepatide, that figure was 9 percent.
Read the full story here.
Study Demonstrates MyPhenomeTM Hungry Gut Test Identifies Responders to Semaglutide
New independent study’s findings presented during Presidential Plenary session at Digestive Disease Week 2024.
Menlo Park, Calif., May 20, 2024 - Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, announces the results of a groundbreaking independent study led by Mayo Clinic and presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024 (DDW). The study demonstrates the clinical utility of the MyPhenomeTM Hungry Gut test to predict response to semaglutide and reduces variability in response to this weight loss medication. Phenomix co-founder and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Andres Acosta, MD, Ph.D. was among a group selected to present these findings at the Presidential Plenary session at DDW, led by Dr. Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, M.D., Ph.D. endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, and Sima Fansa, MD, Mayo Clinic fellow.
Read the full release here.
Read the interview with Dr. Acosta in TIME by Alice Park.
Read in the interview with Dr. Acosta in CNN.
Phenomix Sciences Raises $7.8M in Funding to Accelerate Adoption of Obesity Precision Medicine
Precision medicine biotechnology company for obesity secures additional institutional capital from prominent industry leaders to expand the use of its novel phenotyping test and advance clinical research in weight loss treatment.
Menlo Park, Calif., M
Read the full story here.
New Phenotyping Tests Slay Obesity Myths
May 15, 2024 | Mary Stuart | Posted In: MedTech Stratigist Executive Interviews
A new set of objective and si
mple phenotyping tests that categorize patients by four distinct subtypes of obesity is set to disrupt obesity care, by enabling the tailoring of therapy to a patient's syndrome to create care that is more successful and cost-effective. MedTech Strategist interviews the Mayo Clinic’s Andres Acosta, a co-founder of Phenomix Sciences, which is commercializing the tests.
The clamor around the successful use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss—Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (Ozempic, for patients with type 2 diabetes and Wegovy, for adults with obesity)—might obscure the fact that the most impactful innovation in the obesity space right now is a diagnostic, and not a therapeutic.
Read the full article here.
Phenomix Sciences Launches Three-in-One Obesity Phenotyping Test, Adding Emotional Hunger and Personalized Lifestyle Guidance
New MyPhenomeTM test delivers patients and providers with most comprehensive and actionable insights yet into their obesity type(s).
Read more here.
New Study Links Patients with Multiple Phenotypes to Higher Body Weight and BMI
Research from Mayo Clinic published in Nature’s International Journal of Obesity introduces new insights into obesity precision medicine for patients with more than one phenotype.
Menlo Park, Calif. -- March 14, 2024 – Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, today announced the results of a new study titled “Cumulative effect of obesity phenotypes on body weight and body mass index,” published online by Nature’s International Journal of Obesity. The study was conducted at Mayo Clinic and co-authored by Phenomix Sciences co-founder, Andres Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Precision Medicine Obesity Program and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. The study is the first to demonstrate that patients diagnosed with multiple obesity phenotypes have a higher body mass index (BMI) and body weight.
Read more here.
New Study Confirms Phenomix Sciences’ Hungry Brain Test Identifies Abnormal Satiation and Predicts Response to Qsymia
An independent study presented at ObesityWeek 2023 shows phenotyping and Phenomix’s phenotyping tests are accurate in helping providers determine optimal responders to obesity interventions, such as Hungry Brain patients on Qsymia.
Read the rest of the story here.
Phenomix Sciences Co-Founders Awarded First Patent for Using Precision Medicine and Phenotyping to Treat Obesity
New patent covers methods to treat obesity using phenotyping.
28 September 2023, 09:00 ET
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MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data-driven precision medicine to obesity treatment, announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued the first patent related to its obesity phenotyping technology. The technology underlying the patent was developed by Phenomix's founders at Mayo Clinic, Andres Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Camilleri, M.D., D.Sc. The patent is assigned to Mayo Clinic and exclusively licensed to Phenomix to develop, manufacture and market obesity phenotyping tests including the two MyPhenomeTM Tests launched by the company earlier in the year. Read the full press release here. |
In the era of blockbuster obesity drugs, a personalized approach could boost outcomes
September 3, 2023
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The pharmaceutical industry has seen a wave of interest in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. However, obesity is complex, and a personalized approach is key to finding what works best for each individualized patient. In a recent article in PharmaVoice, our CEO shares how phenotyping is bringing precision medicine to the obesity space and how pharmaceutical companies can benefit from and play a dynamic role in this movement. Read more here. |
Should you be considering Ozempic or Wegovy as a weight loss solution?
August 4, 2023
Read more here.
A New Genetic Test Could Determine Which Weight Loss Drug Will Actually Work For You
July 19, 2023
Read the TIME article here.
For more information click here.
Phenomix Sciences Unveils Hungry Brain Test in Obesity Precision Medicine Breakthrough
The latest oral swab is the first to help providers determine the most effective treatment for the Hungry Brain phenotype which, together with Hungry Gut, affects 64% of obesity patients and are the primary phenotypes that cause obesity.
Menlo Park, Calif., June 29, 2023 -- Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, announces today the launch of a second of its gut-brain axis phenotyping test, MyPhenome Hungry Brain. The new buccal swab test is the first to determine if a patient’s phenotype is Hungry Brain, or if they’re a person who consumes too many calories without feeling full (abnormal satiation). The company released its first phenotype test for Hungry Gut earlier this year, and it’s currently in use by select U.S. providers.
Read the full release here.
Game-changing obesity drugs go mainstream: what scientists are learning
6.22.23
Read more, here.
To learn more about Phenomix Sciences, click here.
Leading Obesity Researcher Presenting Groundbreaking New Obesity Research at the Digestive Disease Week 2023 Annual Meeting
Phenomix Sciences co-founder Dr. Andres Acosta spearheads team of researchers sharing new data and findings surrounding obesity phenotyping at major industry conference
Learn more about the obesity precision medicine sessions here.
Phenomix Sciences Launches First-of-its-Kind Test to Predict Obesity Phenotype Resulting in Precision Medicine Treatment Options
Saliva test, Hungry Gut™, will assist in provider recommendations with positive results pointing to diet, GLP-1 medication and/or intragastric balloons.
Read the full release here.
New Study Demonstrates the Effectiveness of a Phenotype-Tailored Lifestyle Intervention on Weight Loss
Study published in The Lancet found phenotype-tailored lifestyle interventions can produce twice as much weight loss as standard lifestyle interventions.
Read the full release here.
Tackling obesity through the lens of precision medicine
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Obesity is currently classed as one disease but has recently been divided into four subtypes.
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By using phenotyping to identify the obesity subtype a patient has, treatments can be personalised for patients, increasing treatment adherence, effectiveness, and outcomes.
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Evidence has been published to show that treatments based on a patient’s specific phenotype result in better patient outcomes than treatments solely suggested by physicians.
Read the full article here.
Precision Phenotyping for Obesity Pharmacotherapy
December 28, 2022
By: Anjaili A. Sarkar, PhD.
Phenotype-driven precision medicine holds the potential to change the future of obesity treatment through better-informed clinical decisions, determining coverage, and effectively combining diagnostic testing with drug therapy.
Read the whole article here.
Phenomix Sciences Partners with Gene Sequencing Lab, Kailos Genetics, to Process New Obesity Phenotyping Tests
February 14, 2023
Menlo Park, CA and Hunstville, AL --- February 14, 2023 --Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision obesity biotechnology company, announced today its partnership with Kailos Genetics, a CLIA/CAP accredited clinical laboratory specializing in gene sequencing, to process Phenomix's obeisty patient's phenotyping tests, which will launch later this quarter.
Phenomix is working to conquer obesity through precision medicine and the sicnece of tailoring interventions such as diets, drugs, surgical techniques to each person based on their individual obesity profiles or phenotypes. The company's first therapy selection test, the Hungry GutTM test will predict patient response to GLP-1 treatments, such as WegovyC and OzempicC (semaglutide). The Hungry GutTM test uses a variety of inputs including genetic information obtained from an easily obtained saliva sample.
Read the rest of the press release here.
Phenotype-tailored diets‘ set patients up for success’ in weight loss, health outcomes
November 30, 2022
Andres Acosta, MD, PhD.
This method of intervention paints patients with a broad brush and overlooks their unique phenotype for weight loss, contributing to variability in treatment outcomes. Phenotyping classifies a patient’s specific type of obesity based on biological mechanisms. By understanding a phenotype, a physician can identify what is driving a patient’s weight gain and limiting their ability to lose weight.
Read the rest of the story here.
How to Build an Obesity Phenotype Step-by-Step, with Andres Acosta, MD, PhD
Obesity phenotyping uses a battery of validated tests and procedures to determine the root cause of a patient's disease and then match treatment accordingly.
Obesity phenotyping currently requires about 10 hours and a battery of validated tests to evaluate an individual's energy expenditure, body composition, rate of gastric emptying, satiety/satiation, psychological profile, and values for other biologic and physiologic measures.
Listen to the interview here.
Obesity Phenotypes Explain What Drives the Disease and How to Target Intervention: Expert Interview
Wide variation in response to current treatments for obesity suggest that the disease is really several diseases, with distinct phenotypes unlikely to respond the same way to the same intervention.
Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic describe 4 biological/behavioral obesity phenotypes based on validated measures of body composition, resting energy expenditure, satiety, satiation, affect, and physical activity:
- Hungry brain — mainly controlled by the brain-gut axis, and abnormal calories needed to reach satiety.
- Emotional hunger — desire to eat to cope with positive or negative emotions.
- Hungry gut — abnormal duration of fullness.
- Slow burn — decreased metabolic rate.
Listen to the interview here.
Andres Acosta, MD, Discusses the Challenge of Heterogeneity in Response to Obesity Treatment
"When we have one-third of patients who are not responding to obesity treatments, including bariatric surgery, we have to ask ourselves if the way we are currently managing obesity is appropriate."
In an interview with Patient Care, Andres Acosta, MD, whose widely recognized research focuses on precision medicine in management of obesity, says that given the extensive body of knowledge about the pathophysiology of obesity and wide range of interventions avaialable to address the ubiquitous disease, the era of the trial and error approach to treatment selection should be coming to a close. Listen to the Interview here.
Lifestyle Interventions Based on Obesity Phenotypes Significantly More Effective vs Standard Methods, Study Shows
Differences in individual response to the wide range of available obesity interventions can be better understood--and predicted--when the disease of obesity is itself understood as comprised of phenotypes, according to Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Listen to the interview here.
Phenotype-tailored lifestyle approach leads to greater weight loss vs. standard approaches
Healio Gastroenterology | Erin T. Welsh, MA
SAN DIEGO — A multidisciplinary phenotype-tailored lifestyle intervention resulted in greater weight loss among adults with obesity compared with standard weight-loss interventions, according to a study presented at ObesityWeek.
Lizeth Cifuentes, MD, former research fellow in the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and first-year postgraduate at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and colleagues conducted a 12-week clinical trial of 165 adults with a BMI more than 30 kg/m2. Researchers measured satiation by calories to fullness, postprandial satiety by gastric emptying, emotional eating behavior through questionnaires and resting energy expenditure at both baseline and after the 12-week intervention period. Continue reading...
Phenomix Sciences uses precision medicine platform to predict obesity treatment outcomes
Healio Gastroenterology | Kate Young
October 30, 2022
Phenomix Sciences has launched their Phenomix Sciences Obesity Platform, a set of data and tools that personalize obesity treatments.
“The Platform was developed with a goal to combat obesity with data-driven medicine,” Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix, told Healio. “Obesity isn’t one disease, but many, and at least four can be determined by phenotyping. In fact, the four phenotype categories account for 90% of obese patients. Phenomix is the first to bring a solution to market based on the science of phenotyping.” Continue reading....
Bringing Precision Medicine to the Treatment of Obesity
Obesity rates in the United States have doubled in the past 20 years and without changes, nearly half of the adult population will be obese by 2030. Though there are many approaches to weight loss—diet and exercise, drugs, surgery—their safety and efficacy varies widely from patient to patient.
Phenomix Sciences is using phenotyping to understand the type of obesity each individual has to tailor treatments that address it specifically. Based on work at the Mayo Clinic, Phenomix breaks obesity into four different subtypes. We spoke to Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix, about the company’s efforts to bring precision medicine to the treatment of obesity, the testing it performs, and the science underlying its approach. Listen to the full podcast here.
Phenomix Sciences Tackles Variability in Obesity Treatment Outcomes with Industry’s First Precision Medicine Platform
Hires industry veterans to build and deploy platform to launch first therapy selection test that predicts treatment response
Menlo Park, CA and St. Paul, MN. -- October 5, 2022 -- Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision obesity biotechnology company, announced today the Phenomix Sciences Obesity Platform, the first robust set of data and tools aimed at personalizing treatments for obesity patients. Obesity medicine, as it is practiced today, consists of trying various medical interventions for a significant amount of time until one elicits a response in the patient. Phenomix seeks to tackle the well-documented but poorly understood variability in responses to treatments by leveraging clinical data and advanced analytics to unlock precision medicine for this multifaceted disease.
MAYO CLINIC JOINS OBESITY BIOBANKING REGISTRY, STUDY
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Obesity affects roughly 42 percent of the American population, is a precursor to a wide range of chronic conditions and accounts for roughly $480 billion in healthcare spending each year.
- The Mayo Clinic and Phenomix Sciences are partnering on a biobanking registry aimed at collecting data from patients dealing with obesity and a national study to monitor phenotypes in patients undergoing treatments for obesity.
- Continue reading...
VIDEO: Brain-gut communication and its role in food intake, obesity epidemic
By Kate Burba in Healio Gasterenterology
June 4, 2022
SAN DIEGO — In a Healio video exclusive, Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, outlines research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022 that focused on the relationship between gastric function and the regulation of food intake.
“Our research mainly focuses on understanding how the gut communicates with the brain to regulate food intake. This is extremely important because we are suffering an obesity epidemic,” Acosta, assistant professor of medicine and consultant in gastroenterology and hepatology at Mayo Clinic, said. “We're super excited to explain how our gut communicates with the brain, regulates food intake and plays a major role in obesity and in the pathophysiology of a disease that is really affecting our epidemic.” Watch here...
Phenomix Launches The First Obesity Biobank Registry To Study Underling Phenotypes
by Joy Lin in Gene Online
May 26, 2022
On a mission to conquer obesity, Phenomix Sciences has launched its first obesity biobanking registry and outcomes study. The registry will study variability in obesity by looking at genetic and environmental factors in patients, and analyze interventions that will give maximum benefit to the individual patient. Continue reading...
Phenomix Sciences Announces First Precision Obesity Biobanking Registry and Outcomes Study
May 25, 2022
Mayo Clinic first to enroll in registry with study of 2,000 patients being treated for obesity
ST. PAUL, Minn., May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision obesity biotechnology company, announces today the launch of its biobanking registry and outcomes study. The registry will evaluate variability in obesity treatment response by collecting patients' DNA, metabolomics, hormones, and behavioral assessments, in relation to treatment outcomes. Continue Reading...
Phenomix Sciences Signs Exclusive Technology Licensing Deal With Mayo Clinic for Obesity Phenotype Blood Test
May 4, 2021
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biomedical startup company Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix) has signed an exclusive technology licensing agreement with Mayo Clinic for a novel blood test that accurately predicts obesity phenotypes. The multi-level “omics” MyPhenome™ test leverages technology developed at Mayo Clinic to analyze genomics, metabolomics and hormone levels. Its AI-driven algorithmic solution identifies four specific obesity phenotypes to give doctors the ability to prescribe more precise anti-obesity treatments. With the finalization of the CLIA lab underway, Phenomix anticipates launching the MyPhenome™ test before the end of 2021. Continue Reading...
PHENOMIX AND MAYO CLINIC DETERMINE OBESITY RISK THROUGH PHENOTYPES
July 1, 2021
Using one patient blood sample, the MyPhenome test developed by Mayo Clinic employs an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to analyze a patient’s DNA as well as metabolomic and hormone markers related to obesity. The companies expect it to help clinicians provide earlier diagnosis and better anti-obesity treatment options, including drugs, devices, or surgeries, by analyzing the phenotypes identified from the test. Continue Reading...
Phenomix Sciences taps Mayo Clinic tech for AI-powered obesity diagnostic
May 5, 2021
In a
shift from traditional thinking that lumps together all cases of obesity, researchers are increasingly proving that a combination of genetic and environmental factors have resulted in several distinct forms of the condition, each requiring a different treatment. Continue Reading...
Phenomix, Mayo Clinic Ink Licensing Deal for Obesity Phenotype Blood Test
May 4, 2021
NEW YORK – Biomedical startup company Phenomix Sciences said on Tuesday that it has signed an exclusive technology licensing agreement with the Mayo Clinic for a blood test to predict obesity phenotypes. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed. The multiomics MyPhenome test uses technology developed at the Mayo Clinic to analyze a person's genomic, metabolomic, and hormone profile, and uses artificial intelligence-driven algorithms to identify which one of four specific obesity phenotypes the person fits: Hungry Brain, a defect of satiation; Hungry Gut, a defect of satiety; Emotional Hunger, emotional reward from eating; or Slow Burn, a defect in energy expenditure. Continue Reading...
Q&A: How new blood testing could help doctors better treat obesity
May 3, 2021
Phenomix Sciences was founded by National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded obesity experts and Mayo Clinic physician-scientists Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, and Michael Camilleri, MD, in Rochester, Minnesota, in 2017. Health2047, the wholly-owned innovation subsidiary of the AMA created to overcome systemic dysfunction in the U.S. health care, recently launched the company. Continue Reading...
Novel obesity classifications can aid in tailoring weight-loss treatments
April 28, 2021
Phenotype-guided obesity interventions, determined by a blood test, can double weight loss for patients compared with standard obesity care, according to a presenter at the Obesity Medicine Association 2021 virtual conference.
Health2047 Spins Out Obesity Testing Company Phenomix Sciences
March 22, 2021
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health2047 Inc., the Silicon Valley-based innovation subsidiary of the American Medical Association (AMA), today announced the spin out of Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a phenotype testing company whose AI-derived test analyzes genomics, metabolomics and hormone levels to deliver a new personalized measure for obesity that enhances treatment outcomes. Phenomix provides a solution that identifies four specific obesity phenotypes; the company’s MyPhenomeTM test gives doctors the ability to prescribe individualized anti-obesity therapies that are more effective. Continue Reading...
AMA unit Health2047 spins out obesity testing startup to accelerate personalized medicine
April 1, 2021
