Can a hormone block food cravings? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT06845033
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether infusing a natural hormone called LEAP2 can reduce how the brain reacts to pictures of food in people with obesity. Twenty-eight men with a BMI between 30 and 50 will receive either LEAP2 or a placebo on two separate days and undergo brain scans. The goal is to understand if blocking the ghrelin receptor lowers activity in brain areas linked to appetite and reward.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- LEAP2 (a natural hormone that blocks the ghrelin receptor)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new way to reduce food cravings in obesity by targeting brain appetite centers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (28 men) looking at brain scans, not weight loss. The effect may be small or not translate to real-world eating behavior.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 28 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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 Hide 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 between 18 and 60 years at the time of inclusion * Body mass index 30-50 kg/m2 * Men * Informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Anaemia (haemoglobin below normal range) * Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) \>2 times normal values) or present hepatobiliary and/or gastrointestinal disorder(s) * Nephropathy (serum creatinine above normal range and/or albuminuria) * Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥48 mmol/mol and/or type 2 diabetes requiring medical treatment * Regular tobacco smoking or use of other nicotine-containing products * Claustrophobia * Any ongoing medication that the investigator evaluates would interfere with trial participation. * Any physical or psychological condition that the investigator evaluates would interfere with trial participation including any acute or chronic illnesses
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Center for Clinical Metabolic Research
Hellerup, 2900, Denmark
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