Phenomix Sciences Announces First Precision Obesity Biobanking Registry and Outcomes Study
Mayo Clinic first to enroll in registry with study of 2,000 patients being treated for obesity
St. Paul, MN. -- May 25, 2022 -- 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. The data collected will supplement the 20 billion unique data points that make up the Phenomix Sciences Obesity Platform. Mayo Clinic is the first to enroll in the registry and is expected to contribute patient outcomes from 2,000 patients undergoing obesity treatment.
The biobanking registry is a critical milestone in Phenomix’s mission to conquer obesity by creating unprecedented access to clinical and molecular data throughout all stages of the disease. Outcomes data from biobanks across the registry will supplement Phenomix’s database of biological and clinical data matched to the four obesity phenotypes. Insights generated from the database are being used to develop the company’s first therapy selection test, the first of its kind in the obesity space.
A growing body of evidence indicates that obesity is not a single disease with a single treatment type, but a constellation of diseases. Obesity’s roots lie in an individual’s DNA; however, evidence suggests there is a complicated web connecting obesity to age, race, gender, education, and socioeconomic status. Understanding a person’s obesity phenotype — the combination of genes with environmental and behavioral factors — can help pinpoint the cause of weight gain. Phenomix’s technology is based on research from its physician founders, Drs. Acosta and Camilleri of Mayo Clinic. Their research has demonstrated that when phenotyped and prescribed the right medications, patients can achieve up to twice the weight loss of those not phenotyped.
In addition to creating the first biobanking registry of this type, this is the first large scale study of variability in response in patients with obesity treated with a variety of interventions. The biobank registry’s impact has the potential to change the obesity ecosystem from treatment recommendations to the way payers determine coverage and how industry combines diagnostics testing with drug therapy.
“This is an exciting time in the evolution of obesity medicine,” said Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix Sciences. “The justifiable excitement about new weight management products such as semaglutide and tirzepatide has highlighted the value of rigorous research in the field. Our biobanking agreement with Mayo Clinic is an important opportunity to make vast strides in how we understand the complexities of obesity treatment. We believe the biobanking registry investment will better support obesity centers by providing concrete evidence and insights into how DNA and other factors need to be considered in treatment. The upside is significant for patients and payers. Patients get the right treatment the first time and payers avoid paying for a costly trial-and-error approach.”
About Phenomix Sciences
Phenomix Sciences is a biotechnology pioneer on a mission to conquer obesity globally through the science of phenotyping, the understanding of how genes combined with environmental and behavioral factors can inform obesity treatment plans. Mayo Clinic physicians, scientists, and researchers, Drs. Acosta and Camilleri, founded the company under the belief that the key to understanding obesity is unprecedented access to its clinical and molecular information throughout all stages and phenotypes of the disease. Phenomix leverages data intelligence to yield better accuracy in predicting individual patient response to specific weight loss interventions and reducing the variability in weight loss results for patients. For more information, please visit www.phenomixsciences.com.
Disclosures
Mayo Clinic and Drs. Andres Acosta and Michael Camilleri have a financial interest in the technology referenced in this press release. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.
