Energy expenditure and body composition data now available via at-home test using gold standard methodology, backed by four decades of research

Calorify has formally announced its innovative, at-home test kit powered by the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, a well-validated measure of energy expenditure and body composition with applications in a variety of healthcare and human performance settings. Drug development, obesity care, and athlete fueling are just three use cases for the data that Calorify’s test provides. Because the DLW test relies on urine samples collected at home, it is highly scalable and accessible.

“Calorify has made important process improvements to the doubly labeled water method we’ve used for years in academia, enabling a volume and speed of measurements which will lead to a wide range of insights in everything from athletic performance to metabolic diseases,” said Dr. Herman Pontzer, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health, Duke University, whose research focuses on the intersection of evolution and metabolism. “Doubly labeled water is the gold standard for measuring energy expenditure in a real-world setting, so it’s great to see Calorify make it available to be used more routinely.”

With their easy-to-use method of metabolic rate testing, Calorify enables clinical trials and other research programs to benefit from the insights associated with DLW. Calorify’s DLW test kit increases the accessibility to energy expenditure and body composition data for research on metabolic diseases, particularly obesity. Calorify is partnering with academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on their drug trials.

“Availability of a validated, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective measure of energy expenditure and body composition is vital in metabolism drug development,” said Rob Myers, MD, chief medical officer and head of development, OrsoBio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for obesity and obesity-associated disorders. “The doubly labeled water method wasn't previously available for widespread use in clinical trials and we are grateful to have Calorify's technology as an option for assessing the efficacy of our drugs in development.”

“DLW is a powerful method for understanding obesity treatments and metabolic conditions more broadly,” said Dr. Justin Ryder, vice chair of research for the department of surgery, Lurie Children's Hospital, and associate professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. “Calorify delivers DLW testing at a price point, volume and turnaround time that makes it more accessible in research studies into a wide range of conditions beyond the more obvious obesity and metabolic diseases.”

“We’re excited to play a role in enhancing drug development by providing an innovative solution to metabolic testing that is not only easier than previous methods but accessible to a wider audience,” said Hari Mix, chief executive officer and founder of Calorify. “Doubly labeled water is bedrock science and has been used in the literature for the past 40 years. However, due to its historically high cost and complexity, it’s only been used on 15,000 people over those four decades. Calorify seeks to play an important role in bettering the lives of those living with chronic diseases, while building up the world’s largest database of accurate energy expenditure data.”

About Doubly Labeled Water

Discovered in 1949 by the late physiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Nathan Lifson, DWL was restricted to small animals due to the high cost of the oxygen-18 isotope. The testing evolved to human use—but only in lab settings—and has led to many vital scientific discoveries. To date, only 15,000 people have received tests in 41 years. Calorify's at-home isotope testing aims to make metabolism testing more easy and accessible for clinical researchers, physicians, and athletic trainers.

About Calorify

Calorify is the first lab to commercialize this precise metabolic rate measurement method using doubly labeled water. While the science has existed for over 40 years, tests were limited to those participating in academic research. Calorify’s lab quantitatively measures how much CO₂ an individual produces to measure calories in a real-world setting. It aims to democratize what is one of the most critical data points about the human body.

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