A new genetic test can predict how well Ozempic will work for prospective patients

Those considering whether to try medications like Ozempic for weight loss may soon be able to tell how effective the treatment will be for them. Researchers have found a genetic profile that is likely to lose the most weight after taking semaglutide — the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s costly Ozempic and Wegovy treatments, according a new study.

Dr. Andres Acosta, an assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, presented clinical results Monday at Digestive Disease Week, an industry conference held in Washington D.C. The study enrolled 84 participants who were prescribed semaglutide, then administered a genetic test developed by a biotech company co-founded by Acosta, Phenomix Sciences.

Phenomix has identified two dozen genes linked to obesity — along with over 6,000 variants of these genes — and has categorized people with obesity into four genetic profiles: hungry brain, hungry gut, emotional hungry, and slow burn. Participants were tested for the hungry gut profile, which describes those whose food passes through their digestive system more rapidly than the average person (making those who fit the profile hungry sooner after eating a meal). The participants that tested positive for the hungry gut traits lost an average of 19.5% of their body mass after a year on the medication, compared with just 10% for people who tested negative.

“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,” said Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix, in a press release. “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.”

The study comes as insurers and world governments have warned that the high price of the medications have put a burden on their healthcare spending. Ozempic retails at $935 a month, while Wegovy is priced at $1,349. Given the costs, the findings may help pinpoint the patients most likely to benefit from the medications, Acosta told Reuters.

“When you’re going to spend this much money,” Acosta said, “you have to ask, ‘Is there a cheaper approach that will yield the same results in some patients, maybe other medications or surgery?’”