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Impact of Semaglutide Withdrawal on Cardiometabolic Profile and Physiology of Energy Balance: Recovery Effects After Semaglutide Termination (REST)

Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada logo

Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada

Status and phase

Not yet enrolling
Phase 3

Conditions

Weight Change
Blood Pressure Monitoring
Appetite Regulation
Obesity (Disorder)

Treatments

Drug: Gradual dose reduction of semaglutide
Drug: Abrupt cessation of semaglutide

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07294950
REB#1360

Details and patient eligibility

About

Semaglutide is a medication from the class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists that promote weight loss. There is little clinical data on the best strategy to achieve weight maintenance following weight reduction induced by semaglutide. For people who need to discontinue treatment, it is unknown whether the weight regain, its accompanied health benefits could be ameliorated with a gradual reduction in semaglutide. The investigators will study if a gradual reduction of semaglutide is associated with different heart risk profile and hormones involved in energy regulation as compared to immediate treatment cessation.

Full description

It is known that semaglutide induces a supra-physiologic agonism of GLP-1 receptors on central nervous system receptors associated with hedonic eating which likely promotes a homeostatic response (i.e. adaptation) related to appetite control. This concept raises the question of whether a gradual de-escalation of GLP-1RA could ameliorate the tendency for weight regain/cardiometabolic deterioration and compensatory changes in energy balance regulation following cessation of treatment.Thus, the investigators propose an open-label, parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial to determine whether a gradual dose reduction in semaglutide prior to complete discontinuation is associated with differential changes in weight and cardiometabolic profile (blood pressure homeostasis and energy balance regulatory hormones) as compared to immediate treatment cessation in individuals living with obesity without pre-existing cardiovascular disease who are receiving semaglutide for weight management.

Enrollment

98 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 75 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Men and women with previously diagnosed BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 and adiposity-related complications (such as osteoarthritis, nonalcoholic liver disease, sleep apnea, and hypertension) without preexisting cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.
  • Age 18 - 75 years inclusive
  • Ongoing weight-loss treatment consisting of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide at minimum dose of 1 mg/weekly with documented weight reduction of at least 10% of pre-treatment body weight
  • Stable weight over past 12 weeks (less than 5% change in body weight) (self-reported)
  • Ability to read and understand English

Exclusion criteria

  • Previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease defined as previous myocardial infarction, previous stroke, or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.
  • Currently pregnant or lactating
  • Previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes
  • Use of any other pharmacological treatment for weight-loss
  • Previous surgical treatment for weight loss such as gastric bypass or gastric band
  • Any history of eating disorder
  • Renal dysfunction as evidenced by estimated glomerular filtration rate < 25 ml/min by CKD-EPI Creatinine Equation
  • New York Heart Association class II-IV heart failure
  • Hepatic disease considered to be clinically significant (includes jaundice, chronic hepatitis, or previous liver transplant) or transaminases >2.5X the upper limit of normal
  • Malignant neoplasm requiring chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or palliative therapy within the previous 5 years (with the exception of basal cell skin cancer)
  • Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2
  • Any other factor likely to limit adherence to the study, in the opinion of the investigators

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

98 participants in 2 patient groups

Gradual dose reduction of semaglutide
Experimental group
Description:
Participants will reduce semaglutide dosage by 25% every 4-weeks until complete treatment cessation at week 16
Treatment:
Drug: Gradual dose reduction of semaglutide
Cessation of semaglutide
Active Comparator group
Description:
Participants will discontinue treatment at once at week 16
Treatment:
Drug: Abrupt cessation of semaglutide

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Caroline K Kramer, MD PhD

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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