The results of an independent study led by Mayo Clinic has found that the MyPhenome Hungry Gut test (Phenomix Sciences) can predict a patient’s response to semaglutide, thereby reducing variability in response to this weight loss medication.
The study, ‘Performance of a Machine-Learning Gene Risk Score Biomarker on Predicting Response to Semaglutide’, enrolled 84 participants with obesity (BMI 38.8±6.9 kg/m2) who were prescribed semaglutide. The patients were tested using the MyPhenome test and the data analysed using its Machine-Learning Gene Risk Score (ML-GRS) to categorise them as Hungry Gut positive or negative. The Hungry Gut phenotype refers to patients who have altered postprandial satiety, meaning food passes through the stomach more rapidly causing them to feel hungry sooner after a meal.
Weight loss medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) result in significant weight loss; however, clinical studies reveal considerable variability in patient response. The findings of this study revealed that individuals identified as Hungry Gut positive achieved 19.5% TBWL at the 12-month mark, while the negative counterparts experienced only 10% TBWL. This study demonstrated that MyPhenome test mitigates the variability in outcomes and identified patients that are more likely to respond better to semaglutide.
"Our data support that obesity has a strong genetic and biological basis that varies within patients living with obesity,” said Dr Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. “Furthermore, our results underscore the potential of individualizing therapy to improve outcomes that will ultimately translate into improved health."
Obesity phenotypes are the combination of genes and other biometric data that cause obesity, first discovered by Phenomix's co-founders and Mayo Clinic physicians, Drs Acosta and Michael Camilleri. Using the MyPhenome test and the company's sophisticated ML algorithms, providers can more precisely develop treatment plans, including a diet intervention specific to Hungry Gut and semaglutide medications.
"We are excited with the results of this independent study of Phenomix's MyPhenome test at Mayo Clinic," said Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix Sciences. "Demand for semaglutide marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy, is at an all-time high; this study showed an ability to identify responders to semaglutide using our test. We are excited about what lies ahead in precision medicine for obesity and are hopeful our test will be a pivotal tool for clinicians across the US."
The company recently launched its new three-in-one MyPhenome obesity phenotyping test, including Hungry Gut, Hungry Brain, and Emotional Hunger, currently in use by US providers.
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