Obesity Genetics & Epigenetics

The leptin–melanocortin pathway underpins both rare monogenic obesity and emerging precision therapies. Setmelanotide (Imcivree), an MC4R agonist, is now approved for POMC, LEPR, PCSK1, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, with expanded indications under review. The track will cover whole-exome screening pathways, polygenic risk scores stratifying lifetime obesity risk, FTO and MC4R variant biology, and epigenetic programming from in-utero exposures. Sessions will also examine pharmacogenomic predictors of GLP-1 response, the emerging role of clonal mosaicism, and ancestry-aware risk modeling.