Ear-Zap device aims to boost weight loss in stubborn obesity
NCT ID NCT07630597
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests a device that gently stimulates a nerve in the ear (taVNS) to help overweight or obese people who didn't lose much weight after 12 weeks of diet and exercise. 24 participants will get either real or sham stimulation twice daily for 12 more weeks, while continuing lifestyle changes. The goal is to see if the device leads to greater weight loss and improvements in body composition and metabolism.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-invasive option to help people with obesity who struggle to lose weight through lifestyle changes alone.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early pilot study with only 24 participants. The effect may be small or no better than sham stimulation, and results may not apply to everyone.
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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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
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 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 50 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: 1. Completed 12 weeks of lifestyle intervention treatment with ≤5% weight loss during the treatment period; 2. Completed 12 weeks of lifestyle intervention, with less than 1 month since completion, and achieved ≤5% weight loss during the intervention period; 3. Current body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m², or BMI ≥24 kg/m² with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., hypertension or fatty liver disease); 4. Willingness to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Presence of diseases that may substantially affect body weight homeostasis, including Cushing's syndrome, uncontrolled thyroid disease (thyroid-stimulating hormone \>6.0 mIU/L or \<0.4 mIU/L), malignancy, or similar conditions; 2. Use within the past 3 months of medications that may significantly affect body weight, including glucocorticoids and antipsychotic agents; 3. Skin infection or damage involving the auricular area; 4. Women planning pregnancy in the near future; 5. Inability to complete the 12-week intervention period for practical reasons, such as frequent business travel or planned travel.
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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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Department of Endocrinology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
RECRUITINGNanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
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