Phenomix Sciences Launches Three-in-One Obesity Phenotyping Test, Adding Emotional Hunger and Personalized Lifestyle Guidance

April 3, 2024

Phenomix Sciences (Phenomix), a precision medicine biotechnology company that brings data intelligence to the treatment of obesity, announces today the launch of a new MyPhenomeTM test that now allows patients to test for all three identified phenotypes - Emotional Hunger, Hungry Gut and Hungry Brain - in one simple test. For the first time, the new test gives deeper insights into the presence of one or more phenotypes, how that influences an individual’s obesity, and an in-depth MyPhenome test report personalized to the patient.

 

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, Andres Acosta, M.D. Ph.D. and Michael Camilleri, M.D. D.Sc. Phenomix co-founders previously identified that patients can exhibit multiple phenotypes, with a primary (leading) phenotype and one or more underlying phenotypes. A 2024 study links patients with multiple phenotypes to higher body weight and body mass index. Notably, obesity treatments tailored to a patient’s phenotype(s) are twice as effective as other one-size-fits-all treatments.

 

 

 

The new MyPhenome test and report will outline a patients’ identified phenotype(s) and personalized context behind the cause of their obesity. From there, patients can log into the MyPhenome portal for additional resources, including specific meal plans and recipes that complement their phenotype. It also helps providers develop precise and effective treatment plans including lifestyle and diet intervention as well as medication and/or procedure recommendations. 


The three phenotypes now available in the MyPhenome test, include:

  • Emotional Hunger - Individuals who eat in response to emotional triggers and are characterized by high levels of cravings, anxiety, and depression. Treatment can include cognitive therapy and medications such as Naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave), that decrease emotional eating and increase self-awareness.

  • Hungry Gut - Patients with abnormal satiety have accelerated gastric emptying. Treatment can include the “Hungry Gut Diet,” medications such as semaglutide (GLP-1s), and certain devices and bariatric surgeries.

  • Hungry Brain - Patients with abnormal satiation require more calories at each meal to reach maximal fullness. Treatment can include the “Hungry Brain Diet,” medications such as phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), and certain devices and bariatric surgeries.

“The release of our newest test is a testament of our commitment to further understand the complexity of obesity and find ways to solve it,” said Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix Sciences. “This test goes beyond simply providing a yes or no answer; it offers a deeper understanding of the degree to which these phenotypes affect each patient and provides actionable ways to address it. Backed by powerful machine learning and groundbreaking research, this is just the beginning of unlocking the potential of obesity precision medicine.”

Phenomix continues to deploy AI tools to analyze genetic and other biological data to understand how phenotypes influence an individual’s obesity and to facilitate the continued advancement of these patient-centric insights.

 

The new MyPhenome test is now available to providers across the U.S. If you are interested in offering the test to patients or learning more, visit www.phenomixsciences.com

 

About Phenomix Sciences

Phenomix Sciences is a precision obesity biotechnology company on a mission to conquer obesity globally through the use of our proprietary genetic tests, unique data sets and advanced analytics. Mayo Clinic physicians, scientists, and researchers, Andres Acosta, M.D. Ph.D., and Michael Camilleri, M.D. D.Sc., 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 that 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. For more information, please visit www.phenomixsciences.com.