Genomind
Winning the Mental Health Battle with Genetics

Following its theatrical release in 2019, Todd Phillips’s acclaimed movie ‘Joker’ turned heads in more ways than one, becoming a hot topic for mental health debates and sparking several controversies. While some claim Joker’s negative characteristics are sensationalized in the movie, others are in support of the work of fiction, stating it addresses one of today’s most pressing issues: mental illness.

Depression and anxiety, among other common mental health disorders, have been acknowledged as major health problems worldwide; the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease study reveals that about 29 percent of the global population suffers from some kind of mental health disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified this impact and created new barriers for people who already have mental illness. Reports suggest that depression alone affects over 300 million people globally and is the leading cause of suicide worldwide. Staggering statistics also reveal that in 2018 alone, 19.1 percent of U.S. adults experienced mental illness; this represents one in five individuals.

While there are numerous treatments available, only one-third of the people with a known mental disorder seek help from healthcare professionals. Stigma, fear, high costs, and lack of access to effective mental health services are some of the factors that prevent people from getting the required medical attention. But the most significant one is the complex trial and error process associated with the treatment. “Patients often have to go through numerous iterations of medicines before doctors successfully identify the right regimen. This deepens a patient’s sense of despair and hopelessness. There is a massive need for new, effective tools in the mental healthcare space, and that is where we fit in,” states Kip Olmstead, president of Genomind, a leading mental health company that is radically shifting the way mental health conditions are treated with precision. Genomind is filling the innovation gap in mental healthcare through novel, genetics-based tools that bring mental health into the era of personalized medicine. The firm provides advanced precision tools that help physicians improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and pave a new path for mental wellness.

Breaking the Cycle of Failed Medications

Genomind’s flagship product, Professional PGx Express, is a pharmacogenetic test that helps medical professionals deduce a mental health treatment plan that best aligns with a patient’s unique genetic profile. The test identifies patient-specific genetic markers that can indicate which treatments have a lower risk of side effects and be more effective. It is designed to eliminate the trial and error process, providing genetic testing of variants of 24 different genes, which will help physicians determine drugs that are more likely to be well-tolerated, effective, and suitable for an individual.

The PGx test is a simple three-step process that begins with a clinician or healthcare professional placing a request for the testing kit. Once the clinician receives the Genomind test, all they have to do is a simple cheek swab to get a sample of the patient’s DNA and ship it back to the Genomind lab. Within three business days, Genomind returns an electronic report that that indicates the impact the individual’s genetic variants might have for any of the FDA-approved medications for a range of psychiatric conditions, including, for example, major depression, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other common mental health conditions. The Genomind test provides precise information that doctors need in order to select an appropriate and safe drug for their patients. Since COVID hit, Genomind also facilitates an express ship-to-patient option for its flagship product, which means when a clinician orders a Genomind Professional PGx Express, the new service upgrade enables patients to receive the test directly at home. “We also offer an on-demand consulting service with this test, for which we employ highly trained pharmacists and PhDs to work with physicians and identify unique treatment solutions—capturing a more complete picture of a patient’s health beyond their specific mental health diagnosis,” adds Olmstead.

We created the Mental Health Map to translate complex science into relatable knowledge. This tool will provide a roadmap of actionable information that helps individuals gain better control over their unique mental health and wellness needs

Furthermore, the company provides a patient-specific tool, the Genomind Drug Interaction Guide (G-DIG®), designed to assist clinicians in checking gene-drug, drug-drug, and cumulative gene-drug-environment interactions when prescribing medications. G-DIG enables clinicians to better predict a medicine’s safety and efficacy, by allowing them to choose from among the most commonly prescribed psychotropic and non-psychotropic medications to see how certain drugs will interact with the patient’s pharmacokinetic profile. “Assessing gene-drug, drug-drug, and gene-drug-environment interactions can be labor-intensive and yield an overwhelming amount of information. But with G-DIG, clinicians can now simply log in to the Genomind Clinician Portal to access the advanced G-DIG software for each of their patients. And that helps provide smarter precision medication management,” informs Olmstead.

Improving Drug Treatment Outcomes

Over the last decade, Genomind has impacted the lives of numerous patients, family members, and clinicians. But one that hits close to home is the story of Genomind’s CEO, Shawn O’Brien’s son, Tim O’Brien, who suffers from depression and suicidal ideation. In 2018, after a close suicide attempt, Tim was admitted at the Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, where the attending psychiatrists ordered the Genomind PGx test in order to deduce a safe and effective treatment. “They identified the genes, what drugs would be more likely to work, and came up with a cocktail regimen to help him with his health issues,” informs O’Brien. “It also helped him embrace cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Following the treatment, Tim said to me, ‘my brain feels clear for the first time in a long period.’ It’s been two years, and I’m proud to say Genomind has helped and continues to aid him in his journey.” In fact, this entire experience, and passion for helping people like his son, is what motivated O’Brien—who has served as the CEO of multiple influential pharmaceutical and bioscience companies in the past—to join Genomind as its CEO and lead the company on its mission to improve healthcare for patients suffering from common mental health illnesses.

Other testaments to Genomind’s services and products include testimonials from multiple clinicians. One example is of Natalie Kollasch, a nurse practitioner from Arizona, who says, “The results offered by the Genomind test and expert support not only helped me analyze the pros and cons of the treatment options but also helped me earn my patient’s trust. Knowing the pharmacokinetic profile of this particular patient—who was suffering from bipolar disease—helped guide my consideration of the various maintenance treatment options in adults.”

Notably, Genomind’s dedication and mission to improve the quality of life for people with mental illness stems from its teams’ purpose-driven commitment to becoming ‘The company’ for precision medicine in psychiatry by using innovative technologies and collaborative expertise.

In fact, the core team’s combined experience in different fields of medicine plays a significant role in the company’s evolution. “Shawn’s unparalleled knowledge and extensive industry experience in CNS with my expertise in consumer and brand-building, combined with the entire Genomind team, really help us amplify the core strength of Genomind,” states Olmstead.

Destigmatizing Mental Health and Wellness for Everyone

Recently, Genomind launched a direct-to-consumer test, the Genomind Mental Health Map, which will provide a better understanding of the biological basis of mental health coupled with actionable guidance to help people improve health and wellness. “We curated an extensive portfolio of mental health-related genetics expertise to develop the framework for Genomind’s Mental Health Map, referencing hundreds of clinically and scientifically supported data sources, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate gene association studies,” asserts Olmstead. The test is organized around Genomind’s proprietary ‘seven core genetic mental health capabilities’ and analyzes 38 genetic variants and their influence on 29 mental health traits. The result is an interactive report that details 59 possible behavioral predispositions specific to each user’s genetic profile, along with resources and actionable recommendations to improve wellness and quality of life.

“Genomind is filling the innovation gap in mental healthcare through novel, genetics-based tools that bring mental health into the era of personalized medicine”

What’s more? Genomind Mental Health Map is the only DNA test in the consumer market with a specific focus on mental health and wellness. Both O’Brien and Olmstead believe that the Genomind mental health map will help reduce the stigma of mental health. “People are born with certain predispositions and need to be aware of those as they work toward their mental wellness,” says O’Brien. “We created the Mental Health Map to translate complex science into relatable knowledge. This tool will provide a roadmap of actionable information that helps individuals gain better control over their unique mental health and wellness needs.” The firm also takes pride in being able to beat the cost of mental healthcare and attain favorable outcomes for patients.

The next step for Genomind is to continue empowering people to improve their mental health and wellness with genetics-based insights. Genomind has only soft-launched its products and is looking forward to making them accessible to the masses in the near future. “We have several distribution channels that span both healthcare providers (caregivers, primary care, psychiatrists, psychologists) and retail pharmacies like Albertsons,” affirms O’Brien. The organization is also working on an active employer program that is in the pilot phase on the consumer side. “We are looking for opportunities to open up the channels for distribution and communication with the big-box stores and the regional pharmacies,” adds Olmstead.

With the impact of COVID-19, treating mental health illness requires a new level of urgency, and that means not having to wait for information that can help a patient have a better quality of life. To that end, the future of innovative precision medicine in mental healthcare is here, and Genomind is at the helm of it.