Can a diabetes drug rebuild lungs and muscle in COPD?

NCT ID NCT07747805

Disease control Sponsor: The Cleveland Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 05, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot trial tests whether tirzepatide, a once-weekly injection used for diabetes and weight loss, can improve lung function and muscle health in overweight adults with COPD. About 30 participants will receive either tirzepatide or standard care for 12 months, with tests measuring breathing, muscle strength, and body composition. The goal is to see if this medication can reduce inflammation and help restore muscle, potentially offering a new way to manage COPD.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable medication used for weight management and diabetes, is being tested for its effects on lung function and muscle health in people with COPD.
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a new treatment strategy for COPD that not only helps with weight but also preserves muscle and improves breathing.
What could go wrong: This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. Tirzepatide can cause gastrointestinal side effects, and its effect on muscle in COPD is still uncertain.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 to 80 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 40-80 years * Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC \< 0.70 * GOLD stage 1-3 COPD (FEV₁ \>30% predicted) * Former smoker with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years * Body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m² with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., prediabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease) or BMI 30-40 kg/m² * Able and willing to provide written informed consent * Able to comply with study procedures and follow-up visits Exclusion Criteria: * Type 2 diabetes mellitus (HbA1c \> 6.5%) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Coagulopathy, defined as INR \> 1.4 or platelet count \<80,000/μL * Active malignancy, including lung cancer * Use of medications known to significantly alter muscle protein metabolism within 6 weeks of enrollment (e.g., oral corticosteroids, tamoxifen, high-dose estrogen, testosterone) * Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma * Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2) * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to tirzepatide or its components * History of pancreatitis * Severe gastrointestinal disease that, in the opinion of the investigator, would increase risk from study participation * Significant diabetic retinopathy * Clinically significant renal impairment * Clinically significant gallbladder disease * Current treatment with a DPP-4 inhibitor * COPD exacerbation within 60 days prior to enrollment * Participation in pulmonary rehabilitation within 2 weeks prior to enrollment * Any medical, psychiatric, or social condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, may interfere with study participation, adherence to study procedures, or participant safety

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD, severe early onset Obesity obesity disorder Overweight Sarcopenia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

COPD Obesity & overweight Sarcopenia

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Can a diabetes drug rebuild lungs and muscle in COPD?

What the study statuses mean