Study Demonstrates MyPhenome Hungry Gut Test Identifies Responders to Semaglutide

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.

The study titled, “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 analyzed using its Machine-Learning Gene Risk Score (ML-GRS) to categorize 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. 

Dr. Hurtado Andrade, PI in the study said, “Our data support that obesity has a strong genetic and biological basis that varies within patients living with obesity. 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, M.D. 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 U.S.”