NGeneBio Launches Development of Predictive Tests for GLP-1 Therapeutic Response and Side Effect Risk

Pre-administration Genetic Analysis
Post-administration Blood-based Adverse Event Monitoring
Establishing a Korean GLP-1 Treatment Cohort

NGeneBio, an artificial intelligence (AI) precision medicine company, announced on August 21 that it has begun developing a genetic and blood testing solution to evaluate therapeutic responses and adverse event risks for GLP-1 class anti-obesity drugs and to track abnormal reactions after administration.

According to NGeneBio, the company plans to develop a pre-administration screening test to assess individual patients' drug response and risk of side effects based on their genetic information, as well as a monitoring test to analyze blood changes during treatment and detect tissue damage signals related to major adverse reactions.

NGeneBio company logo image. NGeneBio

GLP-1 class anti-obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are seeing increased use due to their strong weight loss effects, but there are differences in therapeutic responses among patients. There are also concerns about gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as abnormal reactions like gallbladder and bile duct disease and pancreatitis, warranting careful monitoring.

Recent international genomic studies have reported associations between GLP1R gene mutations and weight loss efficacy, as well as between GLP1R and GIPR gene mutations and side effects such as nausea and vomiting. These findings are driving further research into stratified GLP-1 therapeutic strategies based on genetic information.

NGeneBio plans to analyze gene mutations affecting drug action, such as GLP1R and GIPR, in its pre-administration test, evaluating their influence on the effectiveness of weight loss and the risk of side effects. Subsequently, by integrating clinical data from Korean patients, the company will develop a solution capable of stratifying therapeutic responses and adverse event risks for each individual.

For the monitoring test during drug administration, NGeneBio will research whether it is possible to identify early signs of tissue damage in critical organs such as the pancreas and bile ducts by analyzing changes in methylation and circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood.

The company will expand its next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based multi-gene panel design and analysis technologies, and minimal residual disease (MRD) detection techniques—originally developed and accumulated in its oncology precision diagnostics business—to the fields of obesity and metabolic disorders.

First, based on genetic information related to obesity and metabolic disorders, as well as global research outcomes, NGeneBio will select candidate genes and biomarkers and develop diagnostic products and analysis algorithms optimized for pre-administration screening and blood monitoring during treatment. Later, in collaboration with domestic specialized obesity clinics, the company will establish a Korean clinical cohort to track GLP-1 patient genetic information, blood test results, body weight changes, therapeutic efficacy, and adverse events for evaluating test performance.

NGeneBio plans to leverage the accumulated Korean patient GLP-1 treatment data not only for product development, but also as a data asset for domestic and international pharmaceutical companies' clinical trial patient selection, biomarker research, and the development of next-generation anti-obesity drugs.

Minsik Kim, CEO of NGeneBio, stated, "As GLP-1 therapeutics rapidly expand, the importance of precision treatment strategies for assessing patient-specific response and side-effect risk in advance is growing," adding, "We will expand NGS and liquid biopsy technologies into obesity and metabolic disease fields to establish a test system that supports personalized GLP-1 treatment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.