COMPANY OVERVIEW
Pathway Genomics Corporation
Who We Are As a CAP and CLIA accredited clinical laboratory based in San Diego, California, Pathway Genomics Corporation provides physicians and their patients with actionable and accurate genetic information they can use to improve or maintain health and wellness. Since its founding in 2008, Pathway Genomics has become known for its dedication to innovation and commitment to medical responsibility – making it a leader in the commercial genetic testing industry.
What We Do Pathway Genomics provides physicians with actionable genetic testing results on cancer risk, heart health traits, inherited diseases, complex health conditions, weight management, and drug response for specific medications used in pain management and mental health.
For more information about Pathway Genomics Corporation www.pathway.com | 877.505.7374 |
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"" CAP and CLIA accredited laboratory "" Actionable genetic testing results "" Cancer risk "" Recessive genetic diseases "" Heart health traits "" Response to eight classes of drugs that affect the cardiovascular system "" Common health conditions "" Drug response for medications used in pain management and mental health
The CAP Certification Mark is a service mark owned by CAP and is used pursuant to a license from CAP.
CLIA No. 05D1092505 | CAP No. 7232232 T-1101.002: Corporate Overview Brochure (Domestic) | 6/2014
Pathway Genomics Corporation
BRCATrueTM
ColoTrueTM
§§ Easy to interpret and clinically actionable results §§ Rapid 2-week turnaround time §§ Advanced variant classification
CancerFitTM §§ Focuses on how genetic predisposition can contribute to cancer risk-reducing strategies §§ Combines nutrigenetics with general health and medication response information
Cardiac Healthy Weight DNA InsightTM
§§ Provides specific genetic information including matching diet type, nutritional needs and genetic propensities §§ May help reduce the risk of heart disease by making appropriate diet and nutritional changes §§ Provides personalized approach to healthy weight loss
Healthy Weight DNA InsightTM
§§ One of the most comprehensive weight-related genetic tests available §§ Unique combination of nutrigenetic, medication and general health information
Cardiac DNA InsightTM
§§ Tests for genetic risk of certain heart-related health conditions §§ Examines eight classes of drugs that affect the cardiovascular system
§§ Uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify gene alterations or mutations that increase a patient’s risk of developing certain types of cancer §§ Scans a patient’s genome for a number conditions related to colorectal cancer
Carrier Status DNA InsightTM
§§ More ACOG-recommended conditions than most other carrier tests on the market today §§ More than 70 recessive genetic diseases
Healthy Woman DNA InsightTM §§ May help to better manage postpartum weight loss §§ Aids in identifying behaviors that may need to be managed §§ Provides information to promote improvement in overall health and wellness
Mental Health DNA InsightTM
§§ Identifies genetic variants that affect the metabolism and efficacy of psychiatric medications §§ More than 40 common antidepressants, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications
Pain Medication DNA InsightTM
§§ Identifies genetic variants that affect how an individual will respond to the analgesic effects of certain types of commonly prescribed pain medications
For more information about Pathway Genomics Corporation www.pathway.com | 877.505.7374 |
[email protected]
The CAP Certification Mark is a service mark owned by CAP and is used pursuant to a license from CAP.
CLIA No. 05D1092505 | CAP No. 7232232 T-1101.002: Corporate Overview Brochure (Domestic) | 6/2014
“All illnesses have some hereditary contribution. Genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.”
— Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) .and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING ABOUT PATHWAY
Pathway Genomics an Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Company SAN DIEGO, CA – August 20, 2014 – Inc. magazine today ranked global genetic testing company Pathway Genomics No. 173, with a three-year growth rate of 2,415.5%, on its 33rd annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy — America’s independent entrepreneurs. Companies such as Yelp, Pandora, Timberland, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, LinkedIn, Zillow, and many other wellknown names gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500|5000.
“A heartfelt congratulations to each company that made the Inc. 500|5000. We are honored to be included among the top-tier of innovative companies in the nation,” said Jim Plante, Pathway Genomics’ founder and CEO. “Since the day Pathway was founded, it has been our goal to provide the most accurate and pioneering services possible to physicians and their patients. These last few years have been an incredible ride in developing a suite of powerful tests that can benefit patients worldwide to truly make an impact on global health – and we’re just getting started.” As a government-accredited clinical laboratory and forward-thinking healthcare company, Pathway Genomics has numerous actionable genetic tests that can identify a person’s genetic risk for cancer, cardiac conditions, inherited diseases, nutrition and exercise response, and drug response for medications, specifically those used in pain management and mental health. Over the last two months, Pathway Genomics has launched a leading-edge next-generation sequencing breast cancer risk genetic test, called BRCATrueTM, and co-hosted a fundraiser benefiting Susan G. Komen that raised more than $300,000 for the organization. The company also unveiled the BRCA One for OneTM program – for every qualified BRCATrue test ordered, one test is donated to a person in need, up to $10 million of free testing. It is the only program of its kind in the history of the medical community. Pathway Genomics also has a financial assistance program for patients who cannot afford testing. The 2014 Inc. 500, unveiled in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 20 to November 15 and on Inc.com), is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. To make the cut, companies had to have achieved a staggering minimum of 942.6% in
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sales growth. The Inc. 500’ s aggregate revenue is $15.2 billion, with a median three-year growth of 1,828%, generating 23,000 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 500|5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
“What surprises me, even though I know it’s coming, is the sheer variety of the paths our entrepreneurs take to success, thematically reflecting how our economy has evolved,” said Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “This year there are far more social media and far fewer computer hardware businesses than there were, say, six years ago. But what doesn’t change is the fearsome creativity unleashed by American entrepreneurship.” The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 15 through 17, 2014 in Phoenix. Speakers include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as Michael Dell, Martha Stewart, host of the CNBC show “The Profit” Marcus Lemonis, Container Store Founder and CEO Kip Tindell, and Chobani Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya. About Pathway Genomics Corporation As a CLIA and CAP accredited clinical laboratory based in San Diego, California, Pathway Genomics provides physicians and their patients with actionable and accurate genetic information to improve or maintain health and wellness. Since its founding in 2008, Pathway Genomics has become known for its dedication to innovation and commitment to medical responsibility – making it a leader in the commercial genetic testing industry. Pathway Genomics’ testing services cover a variety of conditions including cancer risk, cardiac health, inherited diseases, nutrition and exercise response, as well as drug response for specific medications including those used in pain management and mental health. For more about Pathway Genomics, visit www.pathway.com. More About Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000 Methodology The 2014 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2010 to 2013. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2010. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies--as of December 31, 2013. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2010 is $100,000; the minimum for 2013 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. About Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000 Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 6,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com/. The Inc. 500|5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates their remarkable achievements. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions. For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000 Conference, visit http://www.inc.com/.
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PATHWAY GENOMICS LAUNCHES BRCA1/2 GENETIC TEST WITH ONE FOR ONE PROGRAM SAN DIEGO, CA – June 3, 2014 – Pathway Genomics Corporation, a San Diego-based CLIA and CAP accredited clinical laboratory that offers genetic testing services globally, today announced it has launched BRCATrueTM, a nextgeneration sequencing and deletion/duplication analysis that can detect mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2, the genes linked to breast, ovarian and other types of cancer. BRCATrue has a sensitivity of >99.99% and the broadest coverage across BRCA1/2 in the industry.
“Pathway’s mission is to ensure that people in need receive genetic testing regardless of their economic or insurance status.” Jim Plante Founder and CEO Pathway Genomics
Recent studies show that up to 80 percent of families with multiple cases of breast and ovarian cancer have been attributed to BRCA1/2 mutations. Mutations in BRCA genes can occur in men and women across all ethnicities, and although anyone can have mutations in one of the BRCA genes, some groups are more likely to be affected such as those with a family history of cancer and people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. “One out of every eight women will be affected by breast cancer in her lifetime,” said Ardy Arianpour, Pathway Genomics’ chief strategy officer. “In the history of the medical community, no clinical laboratory has offered such an unprecedented program as BRCA One for One. By making our test more accessible, we aim to make a substantial impact in the prevention of breast cancer and help further raise awareness by partnering with global patient advocacy organizations.”
To enhance the accessibility of this important genetic test, Pathway Genomics has developed the BRCA One for OneTM program – for every qualified BRCATrue test ordered, one test is donated to a person in need through patient advocacy organizations, up to $10 million of free testing.
“Pathway’s mission is to ensure that people in need receive genetic testing regardless of their economic or insurance status,” said Jim Plante, Pathway Genomics’ founder and CEO. “Offering the industry’s best BRCA genetic test and making it accessible to a wide range of people is a vital objective in this mission.”
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“In the history of the medical community, no clinical laboratory has offered such an unprecedented program as BRCA One for One.” Ardy Arianpour Chief Strategy Officer Pathway Genomics
BRCATrue offers physicians an easy to interpret and clinically actionable report, advanced variant classification, as well as a rapid 2-week turnaround time. BRCATrue is the first step of many that will occur this year to demonstrate Pathway Genomics’ leadership in clinical genomics and commitment to having the most comprehensive cancer-testing menu. To learn more about BRCATrue, visit www.pathway.com/ brcatrue. For more details about the BRCA One for One program, visit www.brcaoneforone.com.
Pathway Genomics Corporation | www.pathway.com | 877.505.7374 |
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Kellan Lutz, Sophia Bush, and More Come Out to Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Presented by Relativity Media, Pathway Genomics, and Evian, the evening raised funds to provide affordable hereditary breast cancer testing and to eradicate the disease. Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. was abuzz last night as the stars gathered to support the fight against breast cancer. Jaimie Alexander, Kellan Lutz, Jessica Roffey, Sophia Bush, and Emmanuelle Chriqui (pictured) were joined by Amber Valetta, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adrian Grenier, Busy Philipps, Jordana Brewster, and more at the Pathway to the Cures for Breast Cancer: A Fundraiser Benefiting Susan G. Komen event. Presented “It’s nice to by Relativity Media, Pathway come out in Genomics, and Evian, the support of such evening raised funds to provide affordable hereditary an important breast cancer testing and to eradicate the disease. During initiative. The the party, Pathway announced fact that 1 in their plans to donate $10 million in BRCA genetic tests 8 women is for women who can’t afford the test. affected by
breast cancer in their life is not an acceptable statistic.”
“It’s nice to come out in support of such an important initiative. The fact that 1 in 8 women is affected by breast cancer in their life is not an acceptable statistic,” Bush tells InStyle. “When companies Sophia Bush choose to be proactive I’m just incredibly grateful because they’re going to save lives.” Chriqui also expressed the significance of showing up for the event. “Susan G. Komen has done so much for
breast cancer awareness, so you never need to twist my arm to come and support their cause,” the actress says. For the occasion, the space was transformed into a luxe living room where guests could snap pictures in an Instagram photo booth, get their groove on, and snack on small bites like local handmade toffees and delicious charcuterie and cheeses. To top off the evening, Kesha gave a glitter-filled performance of several of her hits including “Timber” and “Your Love is My Drug,” which got everyone dancing. “I loved seeing Kesha, I was right up against the stage.” Valetta says. “I knew all the words to the first song!”
During the party, Pathway announced their plans to donate $10 million in BRCA genetic tests for women who can’t afford the test. Despite the fun atmosphere, guests were really there to support the worthy cause. “I was really excited to hear what these two organization are doing. Both my mom and two grandmothers all had breast cancer,” Valetta shares. “Beside prevention and self-checking and doing your mammograms, the biggest way to help is by making genetic testing available for everybody, which is what this group is aiming to do.”
http://news.instyle.com/2014/06/12/kellan-lutz-sophia-bush-and-more-come-out-to-support-the-fight-against-breast-cancer/
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Relativity Media to Close $1B Pre-IPO Funding by Claire Atkinson SANTA MONICA, CA – June 12, 2013 – Movie producer Ryan Kavanaugh wanted to upend all the rules of Tinseltown when he established Relativity Media 10 years ago. Now he wants to cure cancer. The bubbly 39-year-old billionaire threw a benefit on Wednesday for his latest investment, Pathway Genomics. At the benefit, held at Kavanaugh’s Santa Monica, Calif., airport hangar, Ke$ha performed and the movie mogul and former hedge-fund investor mingled with the likes of models Amber Valletta and Alessandra Ambrosio.
The bubbly 39-year-old billionaire threw a benefit on Wednesday for his latest investment, Pathway Genomics.
Whether it’s charity events, medical investments or models, Kavanaugh has become quite the master of cause marketing.
He’s invested tens of millions of dollars in the privately held San Diego biotech firm, one of many non-movie-business companies he’s been pouring his cash into. Kavanaugh acquired a dog-food company, FreeHand, in 2013 with singer and friend, Michael Bublé, to go along with stakes in Vapor Corp., an e-cigarette firm, a digital ad firm that greets airport travelers in their native languages with duty-free offers and Shoutz, a firm developing the global lottery business into the mobile era.
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Whether in his personal portfolio or at Relativity, diversification is the name of the game for Kavanaugh. Before and after the Pathway fundraiser, Kavanaugh has been hypnotizing East Coast hedge funds and private-equity firms with plans to take his studio public, Hollywood financing sources said. The studio is working with Jefferies to close a $1 billion pre-IPO placement early next week, sources told The Post. The placement calls for investors to see a public float of between 20 percent and 30 percent of the company within 12 months. The IPO will value the firm at between $6 billion and $10 billion, sources tell The Post. Kavanaugh, reached Thursday by The Post, declined comment. Though there is no pure publicly held Hollywood entity that lines up like Relativity, LionsGate is a similar beast. But the obsession of Kavanaugh and others inside Relativity is to diversify the studio enough so that its shares don’t swing wildly on every movie release’s success or disappointment. Currently, 60 percent of Relativity Media’s revenue comes |
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Relativity Media to Close $1B Pre-IPO Funding from theatrical releases, sources said. But selling that mix to Wall Street investors — with its volatile nature — is no easy task. So Kavanaugh is out to diversify his studio, sources told The Post. By this time next year, sources familiar with the company said, the movie/ non-movie revenue mix will move from 60/40 to closer to 50/50. One plan to diversify includes a Relativity over-the-top platform — called RelaTV — where it would air its own original movies, TV shows and digital video, The Post has learned. While the studio recently sold rights to its content to Netflix, that deal is non-exclusive. • • • • •
Relativity has also pushed hard into other non-movie sectors, like: Relativity TV, which makes reality shows for Food Network, OWN and GSN. MadVine, a new unit aimed at bringing advertiser dollars direct to its projects. Relativity Digital, which creates digital video vignettes. Relativity Sports that has relationships with a host of athletes, including NBA stars Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire, according to the firm’s Web site.
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Relativity Music, which releases soundtracks from the company’s movies. Movies carrying Ryan Kavanaugh’s producer credit have averaged $47.6 million per release, according to Boxoffice-mojo.com. Those set to benefit from the IPO are Relativity Media’s current backers, including Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos. and Kavanaugh’s original partner, Paul Singer’s Elliott Management. Other lesser-known investors include: Jim Breyer, the CEO of Breyer Capital; Colbeck Capital; Softbank; Falcon Investments and China’s biggest bank, ICBC. Relativity’s IPO won’t be the only one for investors to consider in the coming year. MGM Studios, which creates the James Bond movies, is expected to go public after filing regulatory documents.
Ke$ha performed and the movie mogul and former hedge-fund investor mingled with the likes of models Amber Valletta and Alessandra Ambrosio.
And there is also talk of WME/Silver Lake taking a merged WME and IMG Worldwide public in the years to come. For Kavanaugh, however, Relativity will be just one of a number of chips on the poker table — but it will be his most important. http://nypost.com/2014/06/12/relativity-media-to-close-1b-pre-ipo-funding/
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Crack Your Own DNA Code Men’s Journal, October 2013
“These tests give people a better idea of where they are and where they need to be. It’s a probabilistic look at your health that is a critical component of an integrated approach to wellness.”
Dr. Samir Damani Founder and CEO of MD Revolution
DIY DNA testing ...Ten years ago, the Human Genome Project deciphered the entire human DNA code at a cost of about $3 billion. What no one dreamed at the time was that the technology would quickly become so accessible and so cheap.
What Our Genes Tell Us ...In the case of San Diego-based Pathway Genomics, a doctor orders the test, receives the results electronically, and interprets them for the patient, usually with the help of a script provided Pathway by Pathway.
Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Dallas, you can bring the results from the Pathway Fit Report to a specially prepped Equinox trainer who will help you figure out the healthiest ways to eat and work out. It’s a lively grab bag that looks into your genes for things like food cravings, the risk of having lower levels of various vitamins (A, B2, B6, B12, C, D, and E), and some common food sensitivities. Then there are the questions about the most effective fitness regimen: Are you likely, genetically speaking, to be the sort of person who readily puts on muscle from weight training, or, conversely, will aerobic endurance work efficiently tune up your metabolism? Odds are experience has already given you answers here, but some of the other tests may prove useful, like one that looks at your propensity for Achilles tendinopathy (which will make you want to start stretching your calves daily) or your body-mass response to exercise (which could give you a hint about the best strategy to shed those last 10 pounds).
carb, or Mediterranean diet to stay healthy and lose weight? For its part, Pathway cherry-picks 79 genetic markers that it matches against data from population studies. People with one genotype are more likely to have higher than average “good” HDL cholesterol when they eat less animal fat. If you share that genetic profile, it may be evidence The part of that you would do Pathway best with a low-fat diet. Your genetic Fit that has variations might attracted instead match those in a population the most who eat a lot of the monounsaturated attention fats found in draws on avocados and olive oil and tend to be genetics to thinner. In this case, personalize your results will push you toward a nutrition Mediterranean diet. advice. – Joseph Hooper
has gone the farthest in creatively interpreting With Pathway Fit, Pathway has genomic data gone the farthest to make it in creatively practical, The part of Pathway Fit that has interpreting genomic data to accessible, and attracted the most attention draws make it practical, even gym-ready on genetics to personalize nutrition accessible, and
Genes for the Gym
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advice. The panel will, in theory, put to rest the controversy that has launched a host of diet books: Should you be on a low-fat, low-
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DNA of Champions Some of my genes predict athleticism. I have apparently nurtured the other ones. I have come to accept that I am never going to compete in the Winter Olympics. This is largely because I have never tried any of the sports. In fact, I have avoided all athletic activities of any kind for my entire life. I’ve always assumed that through no fault of my own, I was born without the genes that would make me able to ski and then stop skiing and shoot things, or to steer a bobsled after a giant man pushed us downhill. To find out if I was right, Pathway Genomics, which uses a spit sample to deliver nutrition and exercise recommendations tailored to your genes, compared my DNA with that of Olympic gold medalist Sergei Bubka, the greatest pole vaulter of all time. I was guessing that of our approximately 20,000 proteincoding genes, most of mine would be too covered in fat for Pathway to read. I went over my results with a Pathway doctor and found out, to my great disappointment, that Bubka and I were created similarly. We both have the “speed gene,” a variation of AcTN3, which is found in fasttwitch muscle fibers. Bubka uses it to generate speed on the track, and I use it to type really fast. We also both lack a gene that would show we’re prone to injury, as well as one that would give us the increased aerobic capacity of an endurance athlete. We both have a gene that probably leads to overeating, a tendency
that I have controlled through will power and that Bubka controlled by growing up with Ukrainian food. The main difference between us is that I figured out that writing is much easier than propelling myself two stories in the air by running as fast as I can and shoving a stiff fiberglass pole into a metal box. But when I looked more closely at our results, I saw that the gene INSIG2 shows that strength training is very effective for Bubka and not at all for me, which I have somehow intuited all these years and therefore avoided picking up and putting down heavy things. “Sergei is in a sense gifted when it comes to constant pressure and constant pressure on muscles. This is consistent with Olympic athletes,” said Jim Plante, the CEO and founder of Pathway. Bubka also gets a hugely advanced benefit from endurance training. I don’t get the same results, though I do get a higher-than-average benefit from the training, along with, apparently, a gene that allows me to forget I ever learned that fact, so I can continue to not go to the gym without feeling extra guilty. I called Bubka in Sochi, where he is attending the Olympics as an IOC executive board member and president of the National Olympic Committee in Ukraine, so I could compare our youths and find out where someone with my excellent genes had gone wrong. Bubka was at a loud party right before the opening ceremony, and he
DNA of Champions by Joel Stein Time Magazine, February 2014
has a pretty thick accent, but I’m positive that when I asked him how Sochi was, he said, “It’s really nice. Great food. Excellent villages.” Having grown up in the Soviet Union, Bubka probably doesn’t define nice in a way that includes things such as bathrooms or doorknobs. Bubka wasn’t surprised by his genetic results, since he’s always been better at shortterm, strength-oriented sports. “I was fastest and strongest of all my friends. I played sports most of the time with older
guys,” he told me. When he was just 10, an older friend named Slava insisted that his pole-vaulting coach let Bubka try the sport, even though Bubka was considered way too young. When I tried pole vaulting two years ago with Olympian Brad Walker, I could neither clear the lowest level nor get Walker to stop making fun of me. Genetic testing of athletic ability, Bubka said, should be administered to child athletes, as Uzbekistan has announced it will start doing, so that kids won’t waste time and money pursuing the wrong sport for their ability. I thought this idea was problematic in that someone might have used testing results to make me play a sport. As much as genes do matter, Bubka said, the key to Olympic success is that “you need to have character to go to your goal, to do your work, to be a hard worker.” Actually, however, Pathway told me, though it isn’t part of the results they normally give, that both Bubka and I have a version of the DRD2 gene, which suggests that we respond positively to rewards, learn from mistakes, can be obsessive and have a low risk of addiction. Other genotypes that are even less well understood might indicate that we both are particularly driven. So in a way, I am more impressive than Bubka because I have had to work hard to fight my genes in order to be as lazy as I am. One day, I hope, the Olympics will recognize that as medal-worthy. ■
Source: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2165473,00.html
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THE BODY / TREND
DO YOU HAVE SKINNY GENES?
THE DNA DIETING METHOD IS THE LATEST CRAZE IN THE WEIGHT-LOSS WORLD. ITS CLAIM: THE SECRET TO A BETTER BODY IS INSIDE EACH OF US—LITERALLY. THE PROMISE OF MINING OUR GENETIC CODE TO PREVENT DISEASE (see: the Human Genome Project) is taking a back seat to the breakthrough the fitness-obsessed have been waiting for: using our genes to fight fat. Although science has demonstrated that low-carb diets (Dr. Atkins is the forefather) and low-fat diets (pushed hardest by Dr. Dean Ornish) can be effective, research also shows they don’t work equally well for everybody. A Stanford study suggests that DNA may be a big piece of the one-size-doesn’t-fit-all puzzle: Subjects who ate a diet tailored to their genetic type lost twice as much weight as those whose diets and genes were not in sync. If having your genes analyzed to slim down sounds like science fiction to you, consider these three accessible and increasingly popular new ways to get diet and fitness advice based on your DNA.
AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE THE CONCEPT The San Diego–based lab Pathway Genomics has crunched the academic-research literature and come up with a procedure that looks at 80 genetic markers that affect the way the body processes carbs, fats, and protein and how it will likely respond to exercise. You hand your trainer a test tube of saliva and $400 and complete a lifestyle-andhealth questionnaire, then Pathway sends the customized dietand-exercise report to your doctor. The company recommends one of four diets: low-fat, low-carb, Mediterranean (heavy on the “good” fats found in fish and olive oil), and balanced (a generic healthy diet). You (or your doctor) can discuss the
results with a Pathway genetic counselor or nutritionist, for no extra charge. THE PLAN About 30 percent of Pathway’s clients are prescribed a low-fat regimen: Because their bodies don’t do a good job of breaking
down and processing fats, they’re put on a diet that skimps on animal fats, dairy, and fried foods, which should decrease the amount of LDL, a.k.a. bad cholesterol. They pick up the caloric slack with fruits, vegetables, and whole
THE CONTROVERSY: DOES IT WORK? YES: “A lot of the data is not ready for prime time, but there probably is value added,” says Dave Kaufman, of Johns Hopkins’ Genetics & Public Policy Center. Cardiologist Samir Damani, who offers Pathway testing at his San Diego practice, says genetic data adds “granularity and accuracy” to his diet and exercise advice. “It’s a hell of a lot better than a doctor recommending whatever fad diet is going around,” he says. NO: “I’d still call it recreational genetics,” says Dr. Joann Bodurtha, a visiting professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. “The science has gotten better, but what bothers me is the potential overpromising. I don’t see any data to suggest that you wouldn’t do better spending your money on a nutritionist.”
BY JOSEPH HOOPER Ǧ BARTHOLOMEW COOKE
PH OTOGR AP HS, TH IS PAGE, BY BR IA N T. SI LA K. GR OO MI NG B Y AN NA B ERNA B E / E X C L U S I V E A R T I S T S / O RI B E . CA S T I N G B Y EDWA RD KIM AT T HE EDI T DES K. SH OR TS BY NUM BER LA B. SH OES B Y AS I CS. O P P OS I T E : S T Y L I N G BY A LI S E A R ATO.
THE REGIMEN
grains. Low-carb candidates (another 30 percent of Pathway clients) don’t efficiently chop up complex carbohydrates to burn as energy, which means some of the carbs are converted into fat. This group is advised to steer clear of breads, cereals, and grains and close the caloric gap with lean, clean protein (fish, poultry), fruits, and non-starchy veggies. The Mediterranean diet is tailored to the 20 percent of clients whose genes don’t point them toward low-fat or low-carb diets but predispose them to receive a greater-than-average health boost from good-for-you fats, which raise their HDL levels—hence the plan’s emphasis on fish, nuts, and olive oil. The remaining 20 percent of people are put on Pathway’s balanced diet, because their genes have no telling variations. This all-purpose, textbook healthy plan loads up on brightly colored produce (carrots to cantaloupe, blueberries to broccoli), whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, fish, beans, and lean poultry.
AT THE GYM THE CONCEPT At Equinox health clubs in Los Angeles’ Century City and Greenwich, Connecticut (and coming eventually to most of the chain’s gyms across the country), you produce $300 and a test tube of saliva. Your sample is
sent to the L.A.-based preventive-medicine company Existence Genetics, which looks for variations in your genes that indicate everything from your chances of developing arthritis to your risk of toppling over from a heart attack on the treadmill. The results help you choose the right diet-and-workout regimen. THE PLAN The gym will recommend a customized training-diet program. Surprisingly, it’s Equinox’s younger, seemingly in-the-know clientele who are the most in the dark. “We find that our younger males are the ones with the least sophisticated knowledge relative to nutrition,” says Matt Berenc, fitness manager at the Century City club. “So we spend a lot of time working with this assessment to show them how to eat right, be it low-carb or low-fat,” Berenc says. “People will join a gym, will have goals—whether it’s to lose weight or get healthy. This gives them a little more kick in the butt.”
AT HOME THE CONCEPT In his new book, The Hunter/Farmer Diet Solution, Dr. Mark Liponis, medical director for the Canyon Ranch spas, has outlined a low-tech way to make the low-carb/low-fat call. He discerns your genetic type with routine annual lab tests and by eyeballing body shape, which he believes can reveal your evolutionary
history. If you’re a “hunter,” you carry your weight in your belly, mostly because you process sugar slowly, which allowed your ancestors to retain their bloodsugar levels, and thus their energy, between kills. The results of your annual physical will probably include higher-than-average triglycerides. But if you have more “farmer” genes, you tend to pack pounds on your thighs and buttocks, even though you’re a doctor’s-office high performer (healthy cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood-sugar readings). Your ancestors’ bodies adapted over millennia to handle grains and cereals in a way that quickly converts carbs into energy. THE PLAN To lose weight, hunters need to cut back on refined carbs, which keep bloodsugar and insulin levels too high and send you down the pre-diabetic path. “If your ancestors couldn’t hunt it or forage it, don’t eat it,” Liponis says. Stay on the hunter schedule—eating fewer and bigger meals (read: when you get a kill). Farmer types, on the other hand, need to avoid overdoing highcalorie, artery-clogging animal fats, eating baked potatoes instead of fries, broiled chicken and fish instead of fried. They can graze as often as they like (granolas, berries, and nonfat yogurt are perfect) to boost energy levels. J
GET SOCCER-PLAYER LEGS IN 30 MINUTES
Sure, players like Ronaldo, Messi, and Beckham were blessed with preternatural ball-handling skills, but their ridiculously well-built thighs are the result of hard training. A recent study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that a mix of high-intensity endurance and strength training made elite players faster and more powerful. Complete this circuit, from the study’s coauthor Jan Helgerud, a professor of medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, two to three times a week and you’ll have the abs and legs of a baller in no time. Lindsey Emery
WARM-UP
Jog (or walk) at an easy to moderate pace for 6 to 10 minutes, switching up your direction—from moving backward, sideways, and forward—every couple of minutes.
CARDIO
STRENGTH
On a treadmill, do four 4-minute intervals running on an incline of 3 to 5.5 percent (work up to the top incline; start by walking at a 5 to 10 percent incline if you need to), at 80 percent effort. After each run, give yourself a 3-minute recovery interval (walking or jogging at your warm-up pace).
Do four half-squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 20-pound dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides, and bend knees 90 degrees; hold for a beat, then rise, squeezing your glutes. Rest for 1 minute and repeat. Do four sets; as you adjust to the routine over time, increase the weight.
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Pathway Genomics Corporation
(858) 217-4358
4755 Nexus Center Drive
[email protected]
San Diego CA, 92121
www.pathway.com
