Phenomix Sciences Unveils Second Obesity Treatment Assay

Phenomix Sciences has launched a second gut-brain axis phenotyping test, MyPhenome Hungry Brain. The new buccal swab test is the first to determine whether 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. 

“The launch of this latest test is another step forward in tackling obesity and we’re confident in its potential to change the way millions of people struggling with obesity are treated,” Pheonmix Sciences CEO Mark Bagnall said. “Our research shows the most effective way to treat patients is by getting to the root of their obesity type. By drilling down to understand a patient’s unique genetic makeup, providers are able to use our tests to build a personalized treatment plan that’s tailored to their exact needs. We believe there is unlimited potential for more phenotypes and test development as the science progresses.”
 
Once a specific phenotype—the combination of genes and other biometric data—is identified for a patient, providers can develop precise and effective treatment plans including lifestyle and diet intervention as well as medication and/or procedure recommendations. Clinical studies have demonstrated that patients with the Hungry Brain phenotype respond best to calorie-restricted, volumetric diets, medications like phentermine-topiramate, or procedures like an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
 
Phenomix Sciences is working to overcome the obesity epidemic by identifying each patient’s subtype, or phenotype, of the disease. This is important because Phenomix’s physician founders, Andres Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Camilleri, M.D., D.Sc., of the Mayo Clinic, have shown that obesity treatments customized to a patient’s phenotype are more effective than treatments that are not customized. Drs. Acosta and Camilleri have pioneered the use of obesity phenotyping and have demonstrated its effectiveness in clinical studies of more than 800 patients, determining that two phenotypes—Hungry Gut and Hungry Brain—affect 64% of obesity patients and are the primary causes of obesity.
 
“This test will be groundbreaking in how I recommend treatment to my patients. Historically, the approach to obesity care has been a one-size-fits-all approach. These phenotype tests allow my team to recommend specific treatment plans for that individual and, ultimately, have a tremendous impact on their health,” said Zaid Jabbar, M.D. M.S., obesity medicine physician with Duly Health and Care in Oak Brook, Ill.
 
The MyPhenome Hungry Brain test is being made available to a select group of U.S. providers before a full roll-out later this year. 
 
Phenomix Sciences is a precision obesity biotechnology company aiming to conquer obesity through proprietary genetic tests, data setss and advanced analytics. Acosta, and Camilleri founded the company after 10 years of rigorous clinical research focused on uncovering the pathophysiology behind the variability in response to obesity treatments. Phenomix believes the key to understanding obesity is its unprecedented access to clinical and molecular information throughout all stages and phenotypes of the disease. Phenomix leverages data intelligence for yielding better accuracy in predicting individual patient response to specific weight loss interventions and reducing the variability in weight loss results for patients.