Specific changes in two genes appear to help predict whether patients will lose substantial weight on GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity — and whether the drugs will cause nausea or vomiting, which are some of their most common side effects.
“I think we have proof of concept here that genetics is playing a role in terms of GLP-1 efficacy and side effects,” said Adam Auton, a vice president at the 23andMe Research Institute and the senior author on the paper, which is being published in Nature on Wednesday.
Outside researchers were impressed and intrigued by the findings, but some doubted whether the genetic results would impact patient care. Still, consumers who use what 23andMe calls its Total Health platform will have access to information about these genes and what they predict about GLP-1 use.
