Brain scans reveal how Weight-Loss drugs rewire appetite in teens vs adults
NCT ID NCT07021937
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates how semaglutide (the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy) changes brain activity related to appetite and eating in people with obesity. Researchers will compare teenagers (ages 12–18) and adults (ages 30–45) using brain scans and meal tests to see if the drug affects the brain differently by age. The goal is to understand how these popular weight-loss medications work in the developing brain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- semaglutide
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how GLP-1 drugs change brain activity in young people with obesity, potentially leading to more tailored treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 3 trial with 120 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The study focuses on brain scans and appetite measures, not long-term weight outcomes.
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
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2031
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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12 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * English-speaking * male or female (sex assigned at birth) * 12-18 y/o with obesity (BMI\>120% of the 95th %ile) * 30-45 y/o with obesity (BMI\>35 kg/m2) Exclusion Criteria: * treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists (e.g., exenatide, liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) for weight management in the prior 3 months * currently taking anti-psychotic medications (anti-depressants accepted) * diagnosis of type 2 diabetes * current or lifetime anorexia nervosa or current bulimia nervosa * head injury resulting in loss of consciousness \>30min * neurological disorder (e.g., Parkinson's disease) or history of stroke * any contraindication to receiving a MRI (e.g., orthodontal braces) * psychological/behavioral dysfunction (e.g., autism spectrum disorder) or physical impairment that would interfere with study procedures, as determined by study physician * if female, desiring to become pregnant, or currently pregnant or breastfeeding
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
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